Former world champion and Olympic gold medalist Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker has died after being hit by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, Virginia, police said. He was 55.
CBS affiliate WTVR reports that a driver hit the Virginia native Sunday night at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road, according to police investigating the crash.
“When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle,” a Virginia Beach Police spokesperson said. “[Whitaker] succumbed to his injuries on the scene. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene with police.”
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The crash remains under investigation.
During his nearly 20-year boxing career, Whitaker — a 2006 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee — held the lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight titles. He also won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
