Annapolis Cyclist Injured On Cross-Country Charity Ride
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Riding for charity took a dangerous turn for an Annapolis cyclist.
Christie Ileto explains how Jacob Landis is recovering from a hit-and-run accident while on the last leg of his tour.
Landis started his charity ride across the country happy and confident, but ended his final leg in Florida bruised and bandaged at the finish line.
"When I woke up, I couldn't really remember anything that had happened," he said.
Landis, still in Florida, says he can't ride his bike for two weeks.
Authorities in Polk County are looking for the driver of the semi that hit him with the side mirror, leaving the 24-year-old with a concussion, multiple cuts to his face and his arm in a sling.
"I was just shocked," said his sister, Sarah Landis. "He only had 170 miles to go so it was like, why did it have to happen now?"
A couple of months ago, Landis began riding his bike to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, hoping to raise money for those who needed cochlear implants but couldn't afford them.
"I'm thankful that it happened at the end because we were able to raise more awareness and money," he said.
Receiving a cochlear implant when he was 10, Landis raised $140,000 this summer and has more donations pouring in from his 11,000 mile journey across the country.
"I've been biking for a while and I can't let somebody take that away from me. Just because something happened like that, doesn't mean it's gone forever," he said.
Studies show every year, 12,000 babies in the U.S. are born with hearing loss.
