TRAGIC ACCIDENT KILLS LOCAL FAMED BOXER! (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS) Whitaker, 55, of Norfolk, Va., was identified as the victim. Police said he died at the scene.
Retired boxer Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, who held world titles at four weight classes, has been killed after being hit by a car, Virginia Beach police said Monday.
An emergency call came in Sunday night about a vehicle-pedestrian accident and when officers arrived at the scene they located an adult male who was hit by a vehicle, police said in a news release.
The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene, police said.
“I guess he was wearing dark clothes, the road was dark and the driver didn’t see him,” Whitaker’s son, Devon, told the Virginian-Pilot.
Police were still investigating the incident.
Tributes started to pour in for “Sweet Pea” as news broke about his death.
He holds the record for longest unified lightweight championship reign in the sport’s history at six title defenses.
In 1984, Whitaker represented the U.S. in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He won the gold medal in the lightweight competition defeating Luis Ortiz. He also won a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas and a silver medal in the 1982 World Championships in Munich.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.
After he retired from the sport, he continued on as a trainer in Virginia. He was the head trainer for former welterweight champion Zab Judah.
He is survived by his wife and five children.
OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILY!
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