MISSOURI CITY, Texas — John Abughazaleh is an avid cyclist who's been riding for 20 years. But the last time he was on a bicycle, he almost lost his life.
Abughazaleh was riding through Fort Bend County with friends the morning of Nov. 4 when he said a speeding driver in a white SUV ran a red light and struck him.
"Almost immediately I was on the road with extreme pain, kind of on my right side to avoid my left side, which was very hurtful, yelling my head off," the Missouri City man told us.
The driver kept on going.
Now, Abughazaleh is in a wheelchair, facing a long road to recovery with a broken pelvis and a dislocated shoulder.
"I feel lucky to be alive. That's number one. Having said that, there's still a heck of a difference from lucky to be alive and up and going and doing everything," the husband, father of three and grandfather said.
He and his family want justice and they're wondering why Missouri City police aren't doing more to find the person who hit him.
Police told them there are hundreds of vehicles that match the description but they've narrowed it down to five. But when KHOU 11 called MCPD, we were told the case is inactive.
"I hope that this person will be found, because if they aren't caught or held accountable, they probably will do it again," Abughazaleh said. "I was lucky, but whoever is next may not be as lucky."
Abughazaleh said he and his cycling buddies have replayed that day over and over.
"We sat together in the hospital wondering what could we have done differently to be safer," he said. "The answer is you cannot do anything about someone who blatantly runs a red light at high speed."
Now, as he wonders if he'll ever be able to ride again, his family is asking anyone who witnessed the crash on Trammel Fresno Road near Highway 6 to come forward.
