KINGSLAND, Ga. – A Camden County motorcyclist is making a plea for the driver who he said veered out in front of him to come forward.
The motorcyclist, Aaron Manuel, said it happened while he was on his way home Tuesday in Kingsland.
“I swerved from my life and I went down really hard. I ended up on the other side of the road,” Manuel said.
Manuel told News4Jax it was one of the scariest moments of his life.
“I thought, what am I gonna do for my kids? I knew I was still alive, but am I gonna have a broken back. I’m an aircraft mechanic, what am I gonna do for my family? Those are the thoughts that were going through my head,” Manuel said.
He said he was on his way home on his motorcycle on Scrubby Bluff Road in Kingsland about 11.am. Tuesday, May 12, when a car parked in the grassy area jumped out in front of him.
“Just out of nowhere, this vehicle comes out of the grass looking to crash into me,” he said. “(I) rolled all the way across the street into a ditch."
Manuel said he was ejected at least 15 feet into a ditch on the other side of the road and now has nine broken ribs, road rash and his shoulder blade is broken.
According to the Georgia Motor Vehicle Crash Report, Manuel was on his motorcycle driving west on Scrubby Bluff Road. A witness told police a blue car cut Manuel off, so he braked, skidded and the blue car did not stop. Manuel was taken to a Jacksonville hospital.
Manuel was close to his home when the incident happened, and he said his surveillance cameras caught the blue car driving off. He is now making a plea for the driver of this vehicle or anyone who recognizes the car to come forward.
“(A) nice guy in a truck, he jumped out of a truck and he stood over me and grabbed my cellphone called 911, called my wife for me, and he was screaming that the car just took off,” he said.
Manuel's attorneys at Farah & Farah told News4Jax they are trying to get the video enhanced to see a clearer image of the license plate.
The incident is also a reminder to always look out for smaller vehicles such as motorcycles that are on the road, and don’t forget to check your blind spots.