photo by: Journal-World File

Tim Easum is pictured in 2013 as he worked his daily delivery route in downtown Lawrence.

Updated at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20

A moped driver who was critically injured last week in a crash in central Lawrence has died, according to people who knew him.

Tim Easum, 57, of Lawrence, who went by the nickname “Toad,” was well known in the downtown business community as a longtime delivery driver who used his moped to deliver meals and other items to business owners at their shops.

“We were really fortunate to have him as part of our barbershop for a really long time, running errands for us and doing so many things. He will be missed by a lot of folks,” said Mike Amyx at Amyx Barber Shop North in downtown Lawrence.

Lawrence police responded to the accident, which involved a car and Easum’s moped, around 7:30 a.m. April 11 at the intersection of West 23rd and Alabama streets. Easum was critically injured, according to police, and was taken to an area trauma center. No other injuries were reported.

Wes Smith, who set up a GoFundMe page for Easum, said Easum died overnight Wednesday. Smith said Easum had surgery “to repair his broken back” and never rebounded after that.

“He had a tough go. He was a good ol’ boy. Hate to lose those guys. Kind of a mainstay in Lawrence. He’s going to be missed,” said Jon Amyx at Downtown Barber.

Jon Amyx said Easum was a friend for over 30 years. He said Easum first came for haircuts and “the next thing you know” he was running errands for the barbershop as well as other downtown businesses.

“It’s kind of shocking. We were hoping the last few days that no news was good news … this morning’s news was no good at all,” Amyx said. “We were always worried that this could happen to him. He had a few close calls in the last few months.”

A lot of people called the shop after the accident to check on Easum and to wish him a happy Easter and to see how he was doing, Amyx said.

Easum’s cousin, Danny Easum, said that Easum was dedicated to his work downtown and that even when he had moped trouble he would make it downtown to help out. He said he loved working with the guys at the barbershop, adding that Easum had gone through at least three mopeds in the last few years.

“I don’t know who gave him that nickname ‘Toad,’ but it stuck for all these years. He even has a headstone out at the cemetery with the name ‘Toad’ in parentheses,” Danny Easum said.

“He was a good guy. He was always kind of grumpy and growly, but he would smile,” Danny said. “He was just out there doing his thing, man, existing. He was happy.”

Services have yet to be scheduled for Easum, who is survived by a sister who lives out of the country, Danny Easum said.

The Journal-World obtained the initial accident report Thursday afternoon. It indicated that a 47-year-old Lawrence man driving a 2003 maroon GMC Yukon told police that he was going eastbound on 23rd Street toward Alabama Street and approached a green light at the intersection, but the sun was in his eyes and he was unable to see Easum in the intersection and struck the back of Easum’s moped.

Police did not suspect the driver of the GMC Yukon to be impaired at the time and did not conduct a field sobriety test, according to the report. The accident is still under investigation, according to the Lawrence Police Department.