One of the cyclists who got mowed down by a car in Texas is crediting his own bike for saving his life after an alleged drunk driver ran over him — who, BTW, has now been ID’d.
Cops say Benjamin Hylander — an American Airlines cargo worker — careened his car into retired physician Tom Geppert and his fellow cycling group rider Deborah Eads near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Monday … and now, we know the charges he’s facing.
Remember … this was all caught in shocking viral footage — which shows Geppert and Eads getting hit from the back … and Geppert getting crushed by the car. Now … TG is recounting the whole thing … telling a local media outlet he’s lucky to be alive.
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Tom explained the only thing he remembers is something pushing him from behind and then falling. As we see from the footage, the driver slowed down for a bit … but then continued to drive forward … running over Tom’s leg/body, which he says led to him losing consciousness.
Docs diagnosed Tom with a concussion after performing a CT scan. Additionally, he was left with an injury to his left hamstring, a fractured rib on the backside and a severe laceration — which Deborah sustained as well. Miraculously, they weren’t more severely injured.
X / @auroramyst
Looking on the bright side, Tom says he’s “just overall amazingly lucky that I’m still alive” — and he’s grateful the car rolled over his thigh, especially since the bike on him elevated the car a bit and served as a bit of a cushion.
As for Hylander — he was stopped by Good Samaritans until police arrived … who led him away in handcuffs. Police say he failed field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer too … and he was booked on 2 counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury, accident involving injury, and driving while intoxicated with a BAC greater than 0.15.
He’s being held at the Tarrant County Corrections Center on a $36,000 bond … and American Airlines has confirmed he’s being withheld from service.