Sister of homeless man killed in deadly crash outside Carrabba's in Tampa speaks about tragic end to his life

TAMPA, Fla. - The sister of a homeless man who was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver who then crashed into a Carrabba's Italian Grill in Tampa spoke to FOX 13 on Tuesday about her brother's tragic life that came to a tragic end.

Speaking with FOX 13 in a virtual interview, Kelli Podracky held up a photo album showing her and brother, Ramon Charles Thompson, when they were children. Innocence shone through Thompson, who, in one of the photos, could be seen smiling and holding his newborn sister.

PREVIOUS: Tampa driver accused of hitting, killing man outside Tampa Carrabas restaurant arrested for DUI: TPD

"That's before life changed who he is. That's before drugs were introduced. That was before trauma happened," said Podracky, who last saw her brother 15 years ago. "You want to remember the little boy holding his baby sister."

Pictured: Ramon Charles Thompson holding Kelli Podracky

At one point, however, their lives diverged. Podracky went to live with her grandparents, while Thompson, who loved ones called "Chuck," stayed behind.

Podracky said the trauma Thompson experienced as a child fueled his spiral into drug addiction, jail and eventually homelessness.

READ: Driver charged after hit-and-run leaves 16-year-old in critical condition: New Port Richey Police

"Once you're on the streets, once you become homeless, it becomes a lifestyle and a perceived freedom," Podracky said.

Pictured: Ramon Charles Thompson

Thompson was sleeping outside the Carrabba's restaurant along Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa last week. Tampa Police said a drunk driver, identified as Angel Manuel Molina, was speeding down the road, lost control of his car, ran over Thompson, killing him, and then crashed into the business.

"It's all sorts of emotions and I think I just come back to it's tragic and it's sad and it's complicated," said Podracky. "No one deserves a tragic ending like that, regardless of history, regardless of how society might deem them or the choices they've made."

Her brother's choices led Podracky to a career dedicated to helping the homeless, first in Florida and currently in Minnesota at unionofyouth.org.

Photo from the scene of the crash.

She said she wants to help younger people avoid the choices that led Thompson to that spot outside the Carrabba's.

"This week has been particularly. Challenging in that. You want to reach these youth, so they don't wind up like that," she said.

Police, meanwhile, said the crash remains under investigation, and it's unclear how fast the driver was going at the time of the accident.