Florida: Army Veteran Dies While Delivering Free Bikes to Children Affected by Hurricane Ian
Steven Pringle is a U.S. Army veteran who turned his life around with a bike shop. However, he was killed in a traffic accident while delivering free bikes to children affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Steven Pringle is a U.S. Army veteran who turned his life around with a bike shop. However, he was killed in a traffic accident while delivering free bikes to children affected by Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, Florida, on November 23.

Pringle was considered a local hero back home in Michigan. He has already touched the lives of many thanks to his passion for bicycles. According to the Associated Press, someone placed a white bike at the crash scene in Punta Gorda with a message saying, "May the legend live on."

Army Veteran Killed While Delivering Bikes to Victims of Hurricane Ian

According to his family, Steven Pringle was driving a pickup truck with a trailer full of bikes he was planning to hand out to kids displaced by Hurricane Ian last September, the Guardian reported.

But while driving through an intersection with a missing stop sign because of the hurricane, his truck was hit by another vehicle. His vehicle was hit so hard that his truck hit a pole and rolled over. He reportedly died instantly.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Pringle's final gesture of generosity showed how much of a generous man he was in life. He died touching so many lives, and his son Jason Pringle said a lady told him they could not afford a bike, yet his father still gave her one.

Jason noted that he was blown away by how many people his father helped. The Army veteran is survived by six children, five grandchildren, his girlfriend Lindsey, his horse Andy, and his dog Lacey.

How U.S. Army Veteran Steven Pringle Turned His Life Around

The Michigan native enlisted in the U.S. Army in the 1980s and was sent to Lebanon. He eventually returned home to Michigan, where he became a car salesman with his own auto dealership.

However, hard times came, and he was forced to live in an old camper. He eventually decided to turn his life around, opening a bicycle repair business called Build a Bicycle - Bicycle Therapy. He admitted that he had an epiphany, which led to helping fellow troubled veterans with what he calls "bicycle therapy."

From a bicycle repair shop, it eventually became a real bicycle shop. Through this business, Pringle would give away brand-new bikes for free. And despite others telling him not to do so because his business might fail, he kept giving bikes away for free, and his business still grew.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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