GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A Belton, Missouri, motorcyclist is recovering after being hit by a vehicle along 71 Highway, near Blue Ridge Boulevard. Then, the driver took off.
The man on the motorcycle is thankful a good Samaritan stopped to help.
Cody Sanford was heading north on 71 Highway when he said a white sedan crashed into his motorcycle and sped off.
“Constant pain every day,” Sanford said. “Road rash all the way down my arm, my hand is pretty opened up. I’d say it probably shaved the nerve endings in my hand.”
Sanford said it’s hard to walk and he can’t lift his right arm, but he’s grateful to be alive and is thankful he was wearing his backpack — or the road rash would be worse.
The crash happened on his way to work at about 6:30 a.m. Friday.
“He went to merge over in the right lane and hit the front of my bike,” Sanford said. “All I remember is immediately going down.”
Sanford has two kids and said his life flashed before his eyes.
“As I was going down, I pictured not being able to see them, them not having a father anymore, and my girlfriend not being able to see me, not being able to hear my voice anymore, my mom, everybody,” Sanford said. “My whole life flashed.”
Sanford said, while the driver responsible for taking him out took off, another person pulled over to help.
They called 911 and Sanford’s girlfriend, Brittani Byer.
“He was so badly injured, he couldn’t move. I’ve never seen someone in so much pain, shaking in pain,” Byer said. “It was terrible.”
Sanford said after the crash, his motorcycle basically split in two, the front wheel stayed on the highway, while the rest of the motorcycle tumbled down this embankment.
“I’m thinking they just didn’t look in their mirrors and went ahead because they didn’t turn on a blinker or anything, they just went to merge,” Sanford said. “So I’m assuming they just didn’t look and just went right into me.”
Since the crash, Byer said several witnesses have come forward with information. They’re hoping the driver who left Sanford in the road is caught.
“I hope they come forward,” Byer said.
Sanford said these injuries temporarily put him out of a job because he works at a chemical plant, he’s focusing on recovery.
Sanford encourages all motorcyclists to wear a helmet with a face shield – he believes that’s what saved his life.
“I just want to get through it, get back to work and get my life back on track where it was before,” Sanford said.
Keep an eye out for a white sedan, Sanford said there would be a good size dent on the right side of the rear bumper.
He filed a police report with the Grandview Police Department.
If you would like to help Sanford in his recovery, click here.
