PALMETTO, Fla. — A Palmetto man still recovering from being struck by a car in a hit-and-run crash earlier this week reached out on Wednesday to the driver who hit him, asking them to turn themselves in.
- Michael Anderson, 20, has road rash all over his body, suffering migraines
- Incident occurred Monday while Anderson was crossing 23rd Street E.
- Have information? Call FHP at 941-751-8350
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On U.S. 41 in Palmetto, seeing cars zoom by is a common occurrence.
“Not one person here is going the speed limit,” says Trooper Ken Watson, Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson. “Are we safe here? Not really."
Neighbors say this road has gotten more dangerous through the years. They call it a "war zone."
“It’s Vietnam out here,” says nearby resident LeRoy Bastic. “Because when you walk out here, you die."
Michael Anderson, 20, has fresh wounds to prove just how dangerous it can be.
Anderson says on Monday he was on his bike on his way back from shopping for, of all things, a bike light at Walmart.
He rode onto the crosswalk on 23rd Street E, where he says he had the right of way.
“That's when they decided to turn and hit me,” says Anderson.
Troopers say it was a gray car that hit him and knocked him off his bike. The driver took off.
With road rash all over his body and dealing with jarring migraines, he’s just happy to be alive.
“I’m thankful I can still walk and still work so I can support my family,” says Anderson.
Now, he just wants the driver to come forward.
“I’m a very honest man, I would like for them to honest as well,” says Anderson.
Anyone with information is urged to call Florida Highway Patrol at 941-751-8350.