JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Family members of a local bicyclist say he was left to die in a ditch. Lorin Leuthold logs 13 miles riding every day. But when he didn't come home Tuesday night, his wife got worried. After an hour of waiting, she and her stepfather started searching.
“When I got there, there was just no way to know, he was not moving. My heart was racing,” said family member Larry Hicks.
Hicks said it was a blessing from God they found Leuthold alive. He was left unconscious in a ditch off Phillips Hwy. A driver in a vehicle struck him on his bike and then took off.
“He was about 40 feet behind the bicycle and his shoes were behind the bicycle. His helmet was almost 20 feet in front of the bicycle," said Hicks.
Paramedics rushed the bicyclist to Orange Park Medical Center. Leuthold’s brother told Action News that Lorin suffered a broken pelvis and severe internal bleeding. The father of four underwent four hours of surgery. While family members pray for a speedy recovery, Hicks hopes the driver will come forward so justice can be served. "I don't know that he's a coward as much as he may be scared. But he needs to come forward if for anything to not live with the guilt he might have."
