Savannah man charged in deadly ‘Flag Man’ hit-and-run appears in court for first time

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah man charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a local bicyclist known as “The Flag Man” appeared before a judge for the first time Wednesday.

SEE HERE: Patriotic Savannah bicyclist “Larry, the flag man” dies after hit-and-run

Byron Reedy, 38, was taken into custody Jan. 21, 2026, by Savannah Police Department traffic investigators in connection with the April 9, 2025, crash that killed Larry Haywood.

Reedy faces charges of homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run resulting in death, serious injury by motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence.

He also faces charges of operating a vehicle without a tag, no proof of insurance, driving with a suspended license, and failure to yield right of way to a bicyclist.

Surveillance video, phone records tied suspect to crash

A Savannah Police Department traffic investigator, David Carrier, testified that surveillance video from a nearby business shows a red Dodge Ram veering off the road, striking Haywood, and continuing to drive away.

When officers arrived on scene, they found a bicycle on the side of the road, plastic front grille pieces, and Haywood’s belongings scattered in the area.

Investigators used the video and flock cameras to track the truck to Reedy’s girlfriend’s house.

Authorities then obtained search warrants for Reedy’s and his girlfriend’s phone records. They found a screenshot of the truck after it appeared on a news broadcast the day before Reedy’s arrest.

Phone records also showed Reedy was on a call with his girlfriend at the time of the crash, and investigators said they were able to ping his phone to the same area where Haywood was struck and killed.

Evidence linked truck to victim

After the crash, Reedy changed his vehicle’s tag, which had previously displayed a BMW tag, and covered missing grille pieces with red duct tape.

Reedy was stopped and arrested in Jan. on warrants out of Bryan County while driving the truck with the wrong tags and no insurance.

“I took paint samples from his hood, his front bumper, along with Mr. Haywood’s clothing, those also came back a match,” Carrier said.

“His license was suspended for multiple DUIs and failure to appears. I ran the truck, via the VIN, it came back unregistered.”

Toxicology results, bond decision

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tested Haywood’s blood, which returned positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine. Investigators said Haywood was riding on the correct part of the road at the time he was struck and killed.

A judge denied bond, citing Reedy as a significant threat to the community. His case has been bound over to Superior Court.