A father was killed by a suspected drunk driver moments after pushing his niece, nephew and daughter to safety as the car sped toward them.
Thomas Lyon, 29, was vacationing in Panama City Beach, Florida, on August 2 with his family and pregnant wife, Mackenzie, celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
Mackenzie explained that the family was staying at a rented beach house after driving from their home in Brumley, Missouri, in the Ozarks.
After dinner, they walked to the beach to hunt for crabs and had to cross a public access road to get to the sand.
Looking both ways before crossing, they saw a car a half-mile away in the 30 mph zone and began to drive through the designated crosswalk around 9 p.m.
Thomas Lyon, 29, was vacationing in Panama City Beach, Florida, on August 2 with his family and pregnant wife Mackenzie, when he was killed.
Thomas and Mackenzie, pictured with their youngest daughter, were celebrating their first wedding anniversary with their extended family.
“I noticed the car was approaching quickly, so I yelled for everyone to run. We all crossed the road except for Thomas,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie said Thomas grabbed her niece Danni and threw her out of the way, then desperately pushed her daughter, Quinn, and nephew Oakley out of the way.
“He pushed Danni, Quinn and Oakley out of the way before the impact happened. If he hadn’t done that, we would have buried three more children with him,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie said her husband was in the crosswalk and on the side of the road when he was hit.
Thomas’ other daughter, Ivy, and other relatives had already made it clear that a 2024 Nissan Altima was approaching, which police said was going about 70 mph.
Thomas’ nephew, Oakley, whom he pushed out of the way just before the car hit him.
Thomas grabbed his niece Danni (pictured with her own father) and threw her out of the way.
Casey Austin Rattan, 39, was arrested by Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies the next day and charged with DUI homicide and vehicular manslaughter.
He was released on $250,000 bail that same day, but was rearrested on August 5 and later released again. If convicted of the charges, he could face up to 14 years in prison.
Mackenzie declared that it would be her mission in life to get Rattan as much time as possible in prison, calling him “the man who murdered my husband.”
“Casey, I hope you or someone in your family sees this and knows that I will spend my entire life getting justice for Thomas,” she wrote on Facebook.
‘You deserve the same outcome as him and I hope you get all the bad things that await you.
‘You not only traumatized me, but also my son, my nephews, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my sister and my mother.
‘You changed our lives forever and I’ll have to go to bed every night with the image of seeing what you did to Thomas in front of all of us just because you decided to drink and drive.
“Because of you my children will grow up without a dad and Thomas will never be able to meet his unborn child.”
Casey Austin Rattan, 39, was arrested by Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies the next day and charged with DUI homicide and vehicular manslaughter.
Thomas was a loving father to his daughters and his life “revolved around them.”
Mackenzie said she was unhappy with the charges because there were numerous witnesses among her family and other bystanders.
“Yes, I am heartbroken and sad, but most of all I am angry and will do everything I can to make sure this ‘man’ gets more than the 14 years in prison he was given,” she wrote.
“There were MANY people who witnessed this and we have many people who made reports of its accelerated speed.”
Thomas’ obituary described him as a larger-than-life personality who was always willing to help others in need.
“His life revolved around his wife and daughters, who were his whole world,” he said.
‘He shared his love of the outdoors with his daughters, taking them fishing and creating fond memories with each activity they did.
‘His family and friends will remember him for his embarrassing dad jokes and his devotion to his loved ones, especially his children, loving them as if they were his own.’
His funeral will be held at Mt Union Cemetery in Brumley on August 16.
Thomas and Mackenzie were married in the area around Panama Beach City, Florida, and returned there a year later for the fateful vacation.
Thomas’ obituary described him as a larger-than-life personality who was always willing to help others in need.
David Hand, a youth minister at Cornerstone First Global Methodist Church in Alabama, was nearby with teenagers at a church camp.
“I’ve tried my best to find the right words, but all I can say is that you and your family are loved by so many people,” she told Mackenzie in a Facebook post.
‘She prayed for her husband until the police and the ambulance arrived. When I returned to our camp, there were 70 people, mostly teenagers, praying in tears. They wrote moving testimonies about that night.’
Friends also paid tribute to Thomas and his final act to save his family before he was killed.
“I still have a knot in my stomach thinking about this nightmare,” wrote his sister-in-law Heather Welch.
“My heart aches for the loss that your daughters and unborn child now bear, who have grown up without their father and have had to witness what you have had to do. The world is a cruel place and you deserve so much better.”
Thomas (left) at a wedding where he was best man for his friend Tyler.
Mackenzie declared that it would be her mission in life to get Rattan as much time as possible in prison, calling him “the man who murdered my husband.”
Mackenzie’s sister, Madison Barnfield, started a fundraiser to cover the family’s expenses and pay for a lawyer.
“I knew Thomas and loved him. He had a special personality, he would do anything to help anyone and he loved deeply. His daughters were what made his world go round,” she wrote.
“Makenzie found out last week that she was pregnant. Thomas will never get the chance to meet his unborn child because of a selfish, senseless man who took everything from him and from us.”
Thomas graduated from Waynesville High School in 2013 and worked at Maximum Remodeling for several years before beginning a career at Midwest Roofing.
“He considered his co-workers to be an extended family,” his obituary said.