In Memoriam

Harold Fleming Jr.

Speeding St. Petersburg Police Officer Kills Man in Wheelchair

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Loved ones of Harold Fleming, Jr. are in mourning over his death. Authorities say a St. Petersburg Police officer hit and killed the paralyzed 45-year-old while he was crossing a street in the wheelchair he'd spent most of his life in.

"I just felt terrible. I just felt terrible," said Pat Diebold, Fleming's neighbor for more than 30 years.

Detectives say Fleming was crossing 38th Avenue North near 64th Street early Sunday morning when a police officer in a marked cruiser slammed into him, throwing him from his wheelchair.

Investigators say the officer, identified as Mehmedin Karic, was not responding to a call at the time. They add that Fleming was wearing dark clothing and Officer Karic never saw him coming. They also say a street light near the intersection was not working when the crash occured.

Diebold says Fleming was paralyzed from the chest down at age 17 after a motorcycle accident, but didn't let it hold him back. "He's been such a trooper, being paralyzed. He still had such a good attitude, such a trooper," she said.

Through an email, Fleming's sister calls him "the absolute best" and says he will be missed "more than any can know."

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.


Follow-Up

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/315604/250/Officer-gets-job-back-after-fatal-crash