NORFOLK, Va. — Pernell “Sweetpea” Whitaker, a former professional boxer, died Sunday night after being hit by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, according to police.
Whitaker was hit near the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road, police said in a news release.
The call came in at 10:04 p.m.
Officers arrived and found a man who had been hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle remained there with police.
Whitaker, 55, was a four-time world champion who grew up in Norfolk. He won an Olympic gold medal in 1984. The magazine Ring named him its 1989 boxer of the year.
Whitaker retired in 2001 and spent six years working as a trainer. By 2006, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Reached Monday morning by phone, his youngest son, Devon Whitaker, was shocked after hearing his dad died last night.
“I guess he was wearing dark clothes, the road was dark and the driver didn’t see him,” said the 23-year-old.
He said his dad was a “cool guy.”
“That’s all I can say about him,” he said. “I can’t really say how I’m feeling because I’m feeling shocked. I’m still trying to process everything that’s going on. But he was a cool guy.”
Whitaker was a staple at Wareing’s Gym in Virginia Beach.
“He was a legacy here,” said Jake Wareing. “I grew up watching him all the time.”
Wareing said that Whitaker would stop in the gym “from time to time” and give motivational talks to youngsters participating in some of the gym’s programs.
Wareing’s uncle, Bob Wareing, was Whitaker’s main trainer. He died in 2001.
Staff writers Saleen Martin, Gordon Rago and Lee Tolliver contributed to this story.