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Surveillance video captures man mowed down in Baton Rouge hit and run
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BATON ROUGE - Surveillance video on the side of a business at the corner of Plank Road and Evangeline captured the moment of impact when Bobby Thomas was plowed into by a moving SUV. That vehicle never stopped, and Thomas was left maimed from the crash.
The impact was so hard, Thomas said his aorta in his heart was knocked out of place. The video is graphic to watch and shows Thomas going airborne at the moment of impact.
"That vehicle hit me, knocked me so far," Thomas recalled. " The whole time I stayed conscious. When I hit the ground, I knew I was broken up but still alive."
Thomas spoke to WBRZ from his hospital bed at Our Lady of the Lake. He's undergone six surgeries already to repair broken bones and has other surgeries ahead. Thomas said the bones in his leg are being held together with a steel contraption.
"My back was out of place, one of my legs was broken, elbow and wrist broken and shoulder," Thomas said.
Thomas went blind about 26 years ago. He said he's received compassion from people in the community that wait until he crosses the street or assist him getting around. That courtesy was not shown on October 20, when a driver hit him and kept going.
"You could have showed more heart, showed more love and slowed down," Thomas said. "Let me cross the street. If you didn't have that heart, you could have stopped and waited to give yourself up and say something about it."
Thomas said he's grateful to be alive. He's grateful for the police investigating his case and the doctors at Our Lady of the Lake.
"They are showing me much love," Thomas said. "They are treating me real good. They are treating me like family and trying to get me right and get me up out of here as quickly as possible, but they aren't rushing. They are taking their time and making sure they do everything right."
Thomas said as he pleads for the driver to turn his/her self in, he has no doubt his strong faith helped him survive.
"My faith, my prayer, and my humble soul toward the lord," Thomas said. "He's my father, and I talk to him at all times."
Thomas said he has health insurance but knows his insurance won't cover all of his medical bills since he's disabled from his blindness and can't work. Baton Rouge Police believe the SUV that hit Thomas was an older model Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon. If you have any information, call the traffic division at BRPD. Their number is 225-389-7819.
Baton Rouge Police said the driver will be charged with hit and run and Thomas' injuries once caught.
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