Ruth and Benjamin Szulwach were struck at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near the Golden Corral at 6:15 p.m. Monday.
By DUANE BOURNE
Published November 13, 2003
A phone call brought the stark news to Joseph Szulwach at home in Laurence Harbor, N.J., Monday night. His father and stepmother were killed by a hit-and-run driver.
From the Tampa Hospital where his stepmother, Ruth, lay mortally wounded, a chaplain had found a little piece of paper bearing his information and called him. His father, Benjamin, had already been declared dead on a dimly lit road in Brooksville.
"I could not believe it," said Joseph Szulwach, who is a Catholic priest. "I just could not believe it."
As he finalized plans for the Friday funeral mass, he recalled how their lives became entwined after their spouses had passed away, how he married them eight years ago, how they seemingly passed on together. The couple, both 79, met about about 10 years ago while working at Arby's.
"This was so tragic because they had a wonderful life together," said Szulwach, who was leaning heavily on his faith as he grieved for his parents.
"The most important thing is that if you put your trust in God, he will always bring you out of the darkest moments and bring you to the light."
As relatives made burial arrangements for Benjamin and Ruth Szulwach Wednesday afternoon, investigators had not yet made any arrests or garnered any additional leads.
Brooksville police Chief Ed Tincher said that there was no further information about the driver of the car that struck and killed the disabled World War II veteran and his wife at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. "We are still looking for information," Tincher said Wednesday. "Right now, we don't have much to believe that it was just an accident. It was just complicated by the driver leaving the scene."
What has also complicated the case thus far is the fact that investigators have not received much physical evidence of the car at the scene.
All they know is that the car was traveling south along U.S. 41 when it struck the pair and sped off.
Authorities said the couple had just stepped into the bustling intersection of U.S. 41 and Martin Luther King Boulevard about 6:15 p.m. Monday after enjoying a complimentary meal at the Golden Corral - the night before Veterans Day. They were on their way to the Arby's parking lot where their car had been parked.
Although the roadway had been recently widened, Tincher said, the lighting and synchronicity of the traffic lights did not appear to be the cause of the accident.
"The road being widened has certainly encouraged people to move more quickly through the city, but the timing of the lights appears to be adequate at this time," he said.
Without many clues, authorities have directed their energy toward finding the car, which they described as a white, older modeled sedan with substantial damage to the bumper, hood and windshield. If they find the car, they will be able to better piece together what happened that night and possibly find its driver.
"Any number of things could have happened with the vehicle," said Tincher, explaining that the car could have been abandoned, destroyed or taken to a body shop for repairs.
While a bulletin had been issued offering what little information police have about the accident and the description of the vehicle, Tincher said his department had not yet begun to alert local body shops of suspicious vehicles. The practice is frequently employed by law enforcement agencies, particularly in the hours after the accident, said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. David Apgar, whose agency is assisting in the investigation.
With the accident less than 48 hours old, authorities acknowledged on Wednesday that time is working against them.
"If you have no eyewitnesses, no tags and information, then you don't have much to go on," said Apgar. "Generally you have 30 days. The longer you have without any solid evidence, the longer you have to solve it."
The funeral mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 13485 Spring Hill Drive.
- Duane Bourne can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com
