Jeff Weiler's life changed in seconds on Tuesday when he went cycling with his service dog.
A driver plowed into Weiler on his recumbent bike and kept driving as if nothing happened.
"I noticed a car stop, coming to a stop almost and making an abrupt turn. The tires squealed. I stopped, and she slammed into me. She got me, knocked me up in the air, got my dog," Weiler said.
It happened at the corner of W Retta Esplanade and Durrance Street in Punta Gorda.
"I must have blacked out for a minute because I didn't realize until I saw the video how far she had pushed me," said Weiler.
When Weiler came to, he was lying on the ground next to the curb. He says he knows the driver saw him.
"I saw her look at me just as she was hitting me," said Weiler.
Still, the driver sped off, leaving Weiler in the street bruised and bloody. His service dog ran off after the crash. The police eventually tracked him down, but he was hurt too.
"It ripped the pads off of both its front feet, and he's, you know, he's limping around, he's recovering now," said Weiler.
Punta Gorda police say Vicky Mcphee was the woman behind the wheel. They arrested her later that day. According to the report, Mcphee claims she didn't see anyone but was looking for the dog that ran out in front of her.
"It's pathetic. I mean, she knew she hit me. She knew my dog was in front of her. You know, it injured him, too," said Weiler.
As Weiler holds back tears, he's thankful the police showed up when they did.
"I mean, at first, I was trying to sit up, and then I couldn't because they thought I had broken my shoulder or collarbone or something, and they wouldn't let me sit up. They were. They lifted me up. They had me on the backboard like that," said Weiler.
Weiler hopes his story will make drivers will think twice about sharing the road with bicyclists.
Even after this near-death experience, he says he's determined to get back on his bike once he recovers.