With just one baseball stadium left to go in a nationally reported fundraising quest, a 24-year-old bicyclist sustained injuries after he was clipped by a passing semitruck’s mirror while riding during the night recently.
The man behind “Jacob’s Ride” has been riding his bicycle across the United States since early April with the goal of reaching all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. His fundraising goal has been to raise $1 million to pay for cochlear implants for children with impaired hearing.
The accident occurred around 10 p.m. in a rural part of Polk County in the southbound lanes of Highway 27. A driver following the man stopped to render aid and call authorities. The driver of the tractor-trailer did not stop after the collision, and authorities have speculated that the driver was unaware that the bicyclist had been struck.
The truck accident victim was taken to Florida Hospital Heartland for treatment of a broken nose, cheekbone fractures, a chipped tooth and a severe concussion. The man is expected to recover but has been cautioned to avoid riding his bicycle until his injuries have healed, which could be two weeks-just after the end of the regular baseball season.
A truck accident victim may be fortunate to suffer non-life threatening injuries, but that is not always the outcome of truck-related crashes. Many truck accident victims sustain severe injuries such as brain and spinal cord injuries, and many are often killed because of the size, speed and weight of commercial trucks.
Whether injuries are nonsevere or life-threatening, a truck accident can be financially and emotionally difficult for a victim. A victim, however, may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, especially if the injured party claims and has evidence that the other party’s negligence played a role in a crash.
Source: abcactionnews.com “Man cycling to all 30 MLB stadiums hit by semi on Fla. Highway with 1 stadium to go,” Micah Grimes, Sept. 22, 2013
