Local media is reporting that Steve Lacey, a Google engineer who had previously worked on numerous games for Microsoft Game Studios, was killed in a road rage incident this weekend. He was 43.
Seattle's KING 5 News
reports that Lacey's BMW was struck by a Hyundai Sonata on Interstate 405. He was reportedly killed instantly.
The Sonata driver, who authorities believe had been drinking, said he was attempting to chase down a separate car he claims had cut him off. He is being considered for vehicular homicide charges, according to the report.
Lacey started working at Microsoft in 1995, after the company's acquisition of his London-based startup RenderMorphics, according to a bio on
his personal web site. In 1998 he began work leading feature teams on games including
Flight Simulator 2000, Combat Flight Simulator 2, Flight Simulator 2004 and
FSX.
Lacey was also credited on Xbox titles
Munch's Oddysee, NFL Fever, and
Crimson Skies before leaving Microsoft in 2006 to start SwitchGear Software, a startup that "aimed to reduce the pain of home computer ownership."
He is survived by a wife and two children.
