The family of a Pensacola man who was struck and killed along the Escambia River bridge on New Year’s Eve says they are still searching for answers after no arrests have been made.
Adam Lay, 37, had recently become a father to a 2-month-old daughter, Ava, in November and was preparing to marry his fiancee, Christina Bauer. He was driving from Milton to Pensacola around 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve when he ran out of gas on the bridge, according to his family. He got out of his truck, and a man in his 20s struck Lay and then crashed into the back of the truck, family members said.
“He’s missed dearly and it hurts,” Bauer said.
Lay’s mother, Deborah Ware, said witnesses told her her son had his hazard flashers on. She said Florida Highway Patrol troopers did not conduct tests to determine whether the driver was under the influence because, she was told, they did not have the staffing to do so that night.
“I said, ‘Do you think my son’s life was not important enough to get a toxicology report and make sure you got one?’ And that’s what I was told … not enough manpower,” Ware said.
The family says they want the driver held accountable as the investigation continues.