Hero father, 29, dies saving three children from ‘drunk’ driver who ploughed into him while on vacation in Florida – as his pregnant wife reveals his heartbreaking final moments

A father was killed by a suspected drunk driver moments after he pulled his niece, nephew and daughter to safety as the car approached them at high speed.

Thomas Lyon, 29, was on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, on August 2 with his family and his pregnant wife, Mackenzie, to celebrate 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 look for crabs. To get to the beach they had to cross a public road.

They looked both ways before crossing and saw a car in the 30 mph zone about a mile ahead. Around 9 p.m., they crossed the crosswalk.

“I saw the car coming quickly so I shouted for everyone to run. We all crossed the road except Thomas,” Mackenzie said.

Mackenzie said Thomas grabbed her niece Danni and threw her aside, then desperately pushed his daughter Quinn and nephew Oakley aside.

“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 driving across the crosswalk and onto the shoulder of the road when he was hit.

Thomas’ other daughter Ivy and other family members were already aware of the approaching 2024 Nissan Altima, which was traveling at about 70 mph, according to police.

Casey Austin Rattan, 39, was arrested the next day by Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies and charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI manslaughter.

He was released that day on $250,000 bail, but was remanded in custody on August 5 and later released. He faces up to 14 years in prison if found guilty as charged.

Mackenzie declared it her life’s mission to keep Rattan in prison for as long as possible, calling him “the man who killed my husband.”

“Casey, I hope you or someone in your family sees this and knows that I will spend my entire life trying to get justice for Thomas,” she wrote on Facebook.

‘You deserve the same fate as him and I hope you get all the bad you deserve.

‘You have not only traumatized me, but also my child, my nephews, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my sister and my mother.

‘You have changed our lives forever and I will go to bed every night with the image of what you did to Thomas, right before our eyes, just because you decided to drink and drive.

‘Because of you, my children will grow up without a father and Thomas will never meet his unborn child.’

Mackenzie said she was unhappy with the charges because there were many witnesses among her family and other bystanders.

“Yes, I am sad and grieving, but most of all I am angry and I will do everything in my power to ensure this “man” receives more than the predicted 14 years in prison,” she wrote.

“There were SO many people who saw this and so many people who reported his increased speed.”

In Thomas’ obituary he was described as a big-hearted person who was always willing to help others in need.

“His life revolved around his wife and daughters, who were his whole world,” it read.

‘He shared his love of the outdoors with his daughters, taking them fishing and creating beautiful memories with every activity they did.

“He will be remembered by his family and friends for his corny dad jokes and his devotion to those he loved, especially children, whom he loved as if they were his own.”

His funeral will be held on August 16 at Mt Union Cemetery in Brumley.

David Hand, youth pastor 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,” he told Mackenzie in a Facebook post.

“Your husband was prayed for until the police and ambulance arrived. When I got back to our camp, I had 70 people, mostly teenagers in tears, praying. They have written powerful testimonies about that night.”

Friends also paid tribute to Thomas and his final act to save his family before he was killed.

“I still get stomach upset when I think about this nightmare,” wrote his sister-in-law Heather Welch.

“My heart cries for the loss your daughters and unborn child now have, growing up without their father and what they have had to go through. The world is a cruel place and you deserve so much better.”

Mackenzie’s sister, Madison Barnfield, started a fundraiser for the family’s expenses and to pay for an attorney.

“To know Thomas was to love him. He just had that personality, he would do anything to help anyone and he loved him deeply. His girls were what made his world go round,” she wrote.

“Makenzie found out she was pregnant last week. Thomas will never get the chance to meet their unborn baby because of a selfish, callous man who took everything from him and us.”

Thomas graduated from Waynesville High School in 2013 and worked at Maximum Remodeling for several years before joining Midwest Roofing.

“He considered his colleagues his extended family,” his obituary reads.