Pedestrian struck, killed in crosswalk near home

SOUTH PASADENA — A pedestrian was hit and killed by a car as he walked home from a swim Friday evening.

A Cadillac driven by 85-year-old Renata Rathmann hit Christy Lizzoli, 56, of South Pasadena, about 6 p.m., just after sunset.

The victim's family said he was walking home to his condo across the street after working out and swimming in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Lizzoli was in a crosswalk at the time of the crash at 1893 South Shore Drive, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reported. The 1999 Cadillac De Ville was headed south on South Shore Drive, deputies said. Records show the driver was cited for improper backing in October.

Lizzoli was taken by ambulance to Bayfront Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 7:47 p.m.

Pinellas County investigators don't believe alcohol was involved. No citations have been issued, though the Sheriff's Office didn't rule out that possibility.

"It's still being investigated," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda. "It's early on."

Mary Kay Lizzoli, the victim's sister-in-law, said he was a loving father of four whose favorite saying was "carpe diem" — "seize the day" in Latin. He has four daughters, one in Japan and the other three in Atlanta. The youngest is in high school.

He retired from food and beverage management at Walt Disney World and was planning on making his condo in Pasadena his full-time home, she said.

"I don't even understand how could this happen," Mary Kay Lizzoli said. "It's definitely a huge loss and such a freak accident."