52-year-old victim of traumatic hit-and-run in West Village speaks out
WEST VILLAGE (WABC) -- Police are still looking for a driver wanted in connection with a hit-and-run that seriously injured a cyclist in the West Village.
The incident happened ten days ago, but the driver has not been found.
The victim continues his recovery and exclusively spoke with Eyewitness News.
Witnesses say that the driver not only struck the bicyclist but nearly ran him over a second time as he was gunning it in reverse while trying to get away.
The impact from the collision sent the victim's bike up onto the sidewalk.
Witnesses thought the victim was dead.
Video of the alleged hit-and-run shows the driver fleeing the scene after smashing into a bicyclist.
Witnesses say the driver had just blown through a red light at 5th Avenue and West 13th Street, then went into reverse and sped off, leaving the cyclist tossed onto the sidewalk across the street.
"All my body was blood and the sweater," hit-and-run victim Myung Jin Chung said.
Chung was lying on the street, soaked in his own blood.
He said he broke 3 bones in his Achilles tendon area, his left leg from knee to toe is mangled, his face battered and his head cracked open.
He also had a concussion.
"All my memory is gone. When I woke up I was in the ambulance," Chung said.
Police say it happened Friday, May 2nd, around 12:40 a.m.
"The guy's bike goes in one way. The guy flies in the other direction. It was pretty crazy," a witness said.
The woman seen in on video calling 911 says the driver of the white Mercedes was speeding when he ran the red light the first time.
Then he blew a second red light as he was fleeing, witnesses said, nearly causing another accident.
"Oh, it was petrifying. We thought he was gonna run over the guy again and we were screaming at him, 'watch out, watch out.' He did not seem too bothered that he just hit someone with his car," the witness said.
Chung needed 16 hours of surgery that night.
He has two more ahead of him.
It'll take him 3 to 4 months before he can walk again.
Until then, the restaurateur cannot work.
He had no idea what had happened to him until he watched the video.
"I thought maybe something my fault but it's totally their fault," Chung said.
Police have that cell phone video and surveillance video from the New School across the street.
There have been no arrests made.
As for Chung, he said he is done riding a bicycle in the city.
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