SAN ANTONIO — A Crime Stoppers reward is up for grabs by anyone who can help San Antonio police arrest the driver of a white BMW involved in a hit and run crash in late April.
Police said the driver hit a cyclist in the downtown area near Main Street and drove off after 2 am. The victim suffered serious bodily injury and was transported to University Hospital in critical condition.
The victim has since been identified as 32-year-old Zach Rogers.
After spending several weeks in the hospital, Rogers is back home and shared with KENS 5 what he remembered from that night.
Rogers had just finished his shift as a barback and was on his way to see a friend.
"I got hit by the car and it just smashed me in the face," said Rogers.
Rogers remembers going underneath the BMW and being dragged.
“I felt my legs getting sucked and they didn’t stop, this car didn’t stop at all," he said.
As described in the police report, Rogers said he was hit somewhere along Ogden and Evergreen. Moments after the crash, Rogers said he got up to search for his bike. When he found it, he rolled it down a block before he collapsed in a nearby parking lot.
"I remember going to the hospital, and I remember seeing my knee and seeing everything and how it all looked," said Rogers.
At the hospital, he had fractures in his collarbone, spine, ribs and sternum. During his month long stay, he also endured numerous surgeries to put his body back together. Doctors even amputated his left ear.
Now at home, road rash still covers 40 percent of his body beneath his clothes. Body aches linger throughout, and hospital bills are piling up.
Due to his specialized care, he said can only be treated at BAMC. His insurance won't pay for his ongoing treatment, so he is relying on others for help through Go Fund Me. At time of writing, the fundraiser had raised more than $12,000.
As for the driver, Rogers hopes the person is caught, but he didn't have much more to say about them.
“I’m in too much pain right now, like I can’t even think about him,” he said.
He does think about the next time he'll be able to ride his bike in downtown.
“I really hope I can get on my bike and start riding again.”
Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact police. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 244-STOP.