Batman impersonator who visited hospitalized children dies in crash

A man who lived near the eastern U.S. city of Baltimore and thrilled thousands of children by impersonating the fictional hero Batman at hospitals and charity events was struck and killed on a high-speed interstate highway late on Sunday.

The story of Leonard Robinson's death appeared on U.S. regional newswires by Monday afternoon. By evening, the story of the 51-year-old philanthropist had spread across the country to Europe and beyond.

Police say Robinson, in full Batman regalia, was about halfway home from a weekend festival in Charleston, West Virginia when he developed car trouble and stopped to check the engine of his replica Batmobile. He was killed when a  car sideswiped Robinson's vehicle as he stood over the engine.

Festival official Sharon Sumpter-Dietz told the Associated Press that Robinson had met hundreds of children at the festival over the weekend and at visits to daycare centers and a library.

"He always told the children how much he valued them and how good they were," she said.