Florida skydiver seen in car window reflection as he fell to his death has been identified as 69-year-old lawyer Frederick Morello – as a witness says he ‘jumped off the ground like a basketball’
- Frederick Morello, 69, of Ormond Beach was found dead in a homeowner’s yard
- He was seen in the reflection of a car window before hitting the ground
- Morello graduated from Georgetown Law School in 1987 and founded his law firm in 1992
The Florida skydiver, who was seen in the reflection of a car window seconds before he hit the ground and died, has been identified as a 69-year-old lawyer.
Frederick Morello, 69, of Ormond Beach was found dead Saturday in a homeowner’s yard near Arthur-Dunn Airpark in Titusville, Florida.
‘He hit the ground. Jumped off the ramp into their grass. Almost like a basketball, it’s just how hard he hit the ground it was like someone had hit him. It’s tough,’ said homeowner James Sconiers FOX35.
An experienced skydiver, Morello graduated from Georgetown Law School in 1987 and has since practiced in federal and Florida courts.
Morello, who founded his law firm in 1992, was a civil trial and appellate attorney for more than 20 years but “a skydiver at heart,” posting dozens of photos of him jumping out of planes and skydiving on his website .
‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away,’ the lawyer wrote in a page titled ‘Fred’s Passion’, followed by his skydiving photos.
Frederick Morello (pictured), 69, of Ormond Beach was found dead Saturday in a homeowner’s yard near Arthur-Dunn Airpark in Florida
The experienced skydiver graduated from Georgetown Law School in 1987
He hit the pavement and was found dead in neon yellow parachute gear
Around 12:25 a.m. Saturday, Morello was seen in the reflection of the rear window of a car parked in the driveway of a home in Titusville, Florida.
He hit the pavement and was found dead in neon yellow parachute gear, authorities said.
Sconiers approached the man and repeatedly asked if he could hear him, but got no response.
“I’m so sad for the family,” said Sconiers, a Vietnam veteran. ‘And for those he jumped with who saw it from there. I feel sorry for them.’
Sconiers told WKMG: ‘Watch the video and see what happened. Why did he fall so hard when all the safety mechanisms are in place? Something tells me there’s a problem there.’
Witnesses said the experienced skydiver fully deployed his parachute, but he still landed at high speed and crashed into a resident’s driveway.
Police revealed the man was found just about a block away from the Arthur Dunn Airpark.
It is unclear whether the man parachuted himself or whether he was with others
The sky park is home to the Skydive Space Center. When asked about the incident by WKMG, center officials declined to comment
Police revealed the man was found just about a block away from the Arthur Dunn Airpark
The air park is home to the Skydive Space Center, which declined to comment when WKMG was asked about the incident.
Sconier appeared to skydive from the same starting point with photos of him skydiving on his website credited to the Skydive Space Center.
It is unclear whether the man parachuted himself or whether he was with others.
At the time of the crash, the Titusville Fire Department posted on X and said, ‘**Parachutist down** Report of skydiver down on Merry Ln. it is located just next to Arthur-Dunn Airpark.’
No further details have been released about what exactly happened, but Sconiers insisted that the Florida community, shaken by the tragedy, needs answers.
“God forbid I’m here, you know, and from a security perspective we’ve got to make sure things are the way they’re supposed to be,” Sconiers said.
Titusville police said they will release more information once the investigation is complete.
DailyMail.com reached out to the department but did not get an immediate response.