Wycliffe Senior VP Killed in Car Crash

Forrest Flaniken Jr., a senior vice president with Wycliffe Bible Translators, was killed Sunday afternoon in the Orlando, Fla., neighborhood Avalon Park. He was 53 years old.

Flaniken and his wife, Kristen, sensed God calling them to ministry with Wycliffe in 1992. He oversaw the moving of the organization’s headquarters to Orlando from Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1999.

Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Kim Montes said Anthony Michael Moffa, 18, was driving a 2010 Ford Fusion heading in the same direction as Flaniken, who was on a bicycle, at around 2:44 p.m.

According to the FHP report, Moffa lost control of his vehicle and struck Flaniken from behind. Montes said Flaniken, who was wearing a helmet, was ejected from his bicycle and killed. She added that Moffa then hit a nearby tree.

The report also says the driver attempted to flee, but bystanders kept him at the scene until law enforcement arrived.

“A couple of witnesses detained him. They didn’t go hands-on, but they told him he needed to stop and remain here, so he got quite a distance away,” said Lt. Channing Taylor of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers later arrested Moffa at Florida Hospital East on charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash, Montes said. According to her report, the driving under the influences charges were filed because it is believed that Moffa was under the influence of drugs.

“I was told there was possible drug paraphernalia in his possession. We’re in the process of investigating that,” Taylor said.

Moffa may have been using synthetic marijuana, also called K-2, WFTV reported. He is scheduled to face a judge Monday morning.

An active member at his local church, Flaniken served as an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Orlando campus for eight years. He held a doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida, an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College. He was also a published author, a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant.

Flaniken and his wife were married in 1983, and they have three sons: Forrest III, Nelson and Spencer.