New Jersey

Homeless Man Who Was Victim of Cruel Coffee ‘Joke' Dies in Car Crash

Lakewood police say 67-year-old Ronald Leggatt was in the left lane of Cedar Bridge Avenue when he was struck around 11 p.m. Friday.

A homeless man whose plight drew national attention when a stranger paid him $5 to pour coffee on himself has died after he was struck by a car.

Police say 67-year-old Ronald Leggatt was in the left lane of Cedar Bridge Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey when he was struck around 11 p.m. Friday.

Leggatt had lived in a homeless encampment for several years but recently was staying in a residential health facility not far from where the accident occurred.

It wasn't immediately known if the driver of the car faced any charges in the crash. 

Leggatt let a stranger videotape him pouring coffee on his head in January 2016 because he needed the money he got. A bystander posted an account of the incident on social media after confronting the young man who paid Leggatt, and the community outcry prompted police to investigate.

Authorities eventually declined to file charges because Leggatt consented even though he was embarrassed.

The San Francisco 49ers later reached out to Leggatt, who was wearing the team's jacket in the viral photo of the incident. He later received a box full of 49ers gear from the team, including a new jacket. He also received donations from people across the country and earned enough money to put himself up in a hotel.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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