© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Maryland's 'Batman,' A Real-Life Superhero, Dies

Lenny B. Robinson dressed as Batman to cheer up sick kids.
Facebook.com
Lenny B. Robinson dressed as Batman to cheer up sick kids.

Lenny B. Robinson, a 51-year-old man who came to be known as a real-life superhero in a Batman costume, was killed in a traffic accident on Sunday.

The Washington Post reports that Robinson had stopped on the side of the road in Maryland after his Batmobile broke down. The Post adds:

"Robinson was having engine trouble and stopped 'partially in the fast lane,' according to a state police news release. He was checking the engine when the Batmobile was struck by a Toyota Camry. The Batmobile then hit him. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The crash is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed. The driver of the car, who wasn't injured, declined to comment."

We first wrote about Robinson in 2012. At the time, he had made news because he had been pulled over by police in Montgomery County, Md., for not having the correct plates on his car — at the time a black Lamborghini. Video of the stop went viral because it showed Robinson in full Batman costume:

As news organizations looked into who this guy was, they found out he was a real-life superhero.

As we reported:

"Robinson is a 'self-made success' in the business world who is giving back some of his good fortune by donning his disguise and then heading to local hospitals to see sick kids and deliver presents 'to up-and-coming superheros who first need to beat cancer and other wretched diseases.' "

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Corrected: August 20, 2015 at 12:00 AM EDT
An earlier version of this post said that Robinson was driving a black Lamborghini at the time of the accident. In fact, he was driving a custom-made vehicle.
Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content