Driver deliberately struck family riding on New Tampa bike path, killing father, police say

[oberliner]

Pedro Aguerreberry pedaled along New Tampa Boulevard on Sunday pulling his son Bennett in a trailer as his other son Lucas rode alongside them.

As father and sons headed east on a paved bike path, a former star track and field athlete named Mikese Morse drove drive west in a Dodge sedan, Tampa police say.

Morse didn’t know the family, but he decided at that moment to make the trio his target, police allege.

Morse, 30, spun the Dodge around, crossed a lane of traffic, tore across a grassy easement and then sped up just before slamming into the father and two sons, according to police.

http://www.tbo.com/news/publicsafety/crime/Driver-deliberately-struck-family-riding-on-New-Tampa-bike-path-killing-father-police-say_169452923

[tulipsandroses]

1. Oh my, what a terrible tragedy

My heart goes out to that family. So horrible for those children to have seen their father killed.

I don't know this young man's history or how much his family was involved in his treatment. Such a tragedy all around. It appears that he was very sick.
He's an adult - So not much the family could have done if he decided he did not want to go to his follow up appt after being released after he was released from the hospital or take medication - I would assume he was given a follow up appt and meds. Everyone leaves our facility with follow up appt and meds. Its up to them if they want to go and take their meds.

[lark]

2. Horrible what people feel entitled to do in todays trumpland.

You can vet the bank that ass voted for drumpf and supports him all the way.

[cwydro]

4. Um, I'd take that bet.

I’ll be surprised if this cretin is any kind of voter.

[braddy]

8. Here is his wiki page

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikese_Morse

[Tipperary]

3. Jesus. I have been targeted on my bike a few times. I am very careful where I ride now.

Never on the road, and if on a bike path off the road, I face traffic so I can see what is coming.

[get the red out]

5. We need a good mental healthcare system

This man is not well!!!!! And an innocent person lost their life.

[NCTraveler]

7. I don't see a history indicating something like this.

Maybe there is and it's outside of Tampa.

Many crimes in that area that are a bit difficult to understand can be chalked up to crack. It can be found all over the place. Those with a history of crack use normally have a record. Doesn't seem to be the case here. Mental snap?

http://pubrec10.hillsclerk.com/Unsecured/Search.aspx?ID=600

[tulipsandroses]

9. He was involuntarily admitted on June 12th

Morse was involuntarily institutionalized for mental health evaluation June 12 under Florida’s Baker Act, Dugan said. He walked into a police district office exhibiting "odd behavior" that met the criteria for the act, but nothing about that incident foreshadowed what Morse admitted to doing on Sunday, Dugan said.


That paragraph above is from the article that was linked in the original post

That was 2 weeks ago - Florida's Baker Act requires up to a 72 hr hold

Here it is 2 weeks later - He was still psychotic - Does not appears he should have been released from this facility

As a psych nurse- I am all too familiar with situations like this- I never want to play Monday morning quarterback but there are a myriad of reasons why patients are released when they should not be. One of them being money. I posted about this a while back. Many of us are leaving the hospital system because its become far too dangerous. Not because of we fear the patients. No we fear the system. The system that does not do right by the patients due to lack of funding. If the patient has no insurance. They are not kept beyond that 72 hr hold. Even if sometimes they are not ready to be discharged. I don't know the details of this case, so I don't want to speculate but I know stuff like that happens.

Even with insurance, some insurance companies are notorious at playing hardball about how many days they want to pay for when it comes to mental health.



There may be drug use involved but not necessarily. Its not unusual to see years of untreated mental illness lead to psychosis.
Its something I've had to explain to many patients over the years -

[NCTraveler]

10. I read that.

Many involuntary admittance's using the Baker Act have a drug element. That's why I don't find that to be enough to make the case for mental illness. Something went in the young man.

[tulipsandroses]

12. I just watched the parents interview

They said they asked for him not to be released.

I can assure you their story is not unique. My heart aches for them. This is why I am leaving the hospital environment. This why my peers are leaving the hospitals. My heart breaks for that young man. He was failed by the system. Both of those families were failed. I plan to contact that family to let them know as a psych nurse, I get it.

Their son will be painted as a villain, he will be dehumanized and painted as evil. Its already started.

We had a similar incident at my facility. The family begged for their son not to be released. He went home and killed his mother. I know this shit happens.

[link:https://www.wtsp.com/video/news/raw-parents-of-tampa-murder-suspect-say-their-son-needed-mental-help/67-8170152|

[NCTraveler]

13. "I can assure you their story is not unique."

Had to have a family member Baker Acted. It was last resort and stemmed from drug use. The only reason it worked is because it also brought about numerous charges and a prison stay. They decided in prison that their problem was drugs. They have been out of prison and clean for over five years. I am positive it would not have happened with the Baker Act alone. They would have been released. Rightfully, as well.

"Their son will be painted as a villain, he will be dehumanized and painted as evil. Its already started. "

He very well might be. Not enough information known. And as you know, from experience, family members are always to be taken with a grain of salt. Specially in a situation like this when it's "I just watched the parents interview". In situations of drugs, parents are often the number one enabler.

[tulipsandroses]

14. I am glad your family member is sober

I view Addiction as a mental health issue - its a brain disease. I work on a detox unit in a psychiatric hospital. Most of my patients are considered dual diagnosis patients. Not all. Some are addiction only.

I don't want to get into the weeds here. And you are correct, we don't know all the facts. I do have a feeling that if he were on drugs. They would have released that info. They can do a rapid drug screen. Takes a few mins. We know within mins what someone is on before we get a full panel. I may be wrong though.

My main point at this time though, having seen this scenario too many times, I think both families were failed. Even if this young man was on drugs, the system failed. I have many ideas that I hope in the coming years I can bring to fruition to make positive changes with addiction and mental health. As it stands, the current system is broken. We are seeing mass exodus from our hospital systems because of situations just like this. It is horrendous what is happening.

[lagomorph777]

11. Sports build character.

What kind of character seems to be in doubt.

[tulipsandroses]

15. Parents said they tried to get their son help -

Parents: Man accused of killing cyclist had mental illness [link:http://www.record-eagle.com/nation_world/parents-man-accused-of-killing-cyclist-had-mental-illness/article_f65f7315-231d-5e0a-b7be-77986232be64.html|

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The parents of a Florida man accused of intentionally running over and killing a cyclist out for a family bike ride said Monday that their son has struggled for years with profound mental illness.
Tampa Police said Mikese Morse, a 30-year-old former Olympic track and field hopeful, "purposely drove off the road" Sunday afternoon, cutting across traffic and over a grass easement, killing 42-year-old Pedro Aguerreberry. One of two sons out for the ride with their father was seriously injured.

Michael and Khadeeja Morse told The Associated Press that their son was in the throes of a psychotic break. They also said they are devastated after trying to help him over the years.
"The system failed us, they failed our child, they failed this family. We've tried everything, this should have never happened, and now our child is also affected and he's hurt someone else's family," said Khadeeja Morse, crying. "He was a good child with a mental health issue that we tried to get addressed."


The Morses said their son has struggled mentally since his early twenties, all while trying to pursue a track career.
As an athlete, Morse specialized in the long jump. He attended University of South Florida in Tampa, where he won the Big East Championship for leaping 25 feet, seven-and-a-half inches (7.81 meters). He also attended the University of Miami. He qualified for the United States Olympic Trials three times and was a finalist in 2008 and 2016, but never made the team.

The parents said they had spoken with police and therapists after Morse began taking to social media and making sometimes incomprehensible and troubling videos
"We've pointed them to his social media. We stopped following it because it was so disturbing," said Khadeeja Morse.
But she added that she and her husband were limited in what they could do because their son is an adult.

[lpbk2713]

16. He forfeited his right to ever breath free air again AFAIC.

I sure as hell don't want to think there's someone like that driving a car headed in my direction.

[tulipsandroses]

17. This is a terrible tragedy but I think this is also a story about the mental health crisis

in our country

Something not getting enough attention in this story.

This young man walked into a police precinct himself 2 weeks ago, basically crying out for help - He knew something was wrong.
2 weeks later - we want to crucify him. When we failed to give him the help he asked for. He was kept for 1 week. Sent home. Didn't take his meds. 1 week is not enough time to get him stable.
This is my frustration with the broken system I work in.

How do we want to treat the mentally ill? And let me say the vast majority of mentally ill are not violent. However, untreated/poorly treated mental illness can lead to psychosis. People with untreated psychosis could have command hallucinations to hurt themselves or others. Not uncommon to have suicide either. So how do we want to treat the mentally ill?

My heart goes out to the bicyclist's family. Being a psych nurse and seeing how the system works, better yet, how quite often, it doesn't work, my heart goes out to both families.