Sarasota deputies search for driver seen ramming motorcyclist with car

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - Deputies in Sarasota are searching for a car seen on video ramming a motorcyclist and pushing him off the road -- causing him to crash -- before driving off. Now, that motorcyclist is counting his blessings that he's still alive to hug his son. 

"This is what I thought about. I’m just thankful I'm alive and I get to spend some more time with him," Darin Hendrickson said Monday afternoon. 

Sunday night, Hendrickson was on his way home when, he said, the driver of a gray Mazda 3 threw a metal object at him, damaging his motorcycle. 

"My plan was to be able to stop at a light, pull my phone out take a picture of his tag and go on over and call the cops," he said. 

Hendrickson followed him down Beneva Road as another driver recorded the scene. As Hendrickson tried to get the car to pull over, it appears he tried to hit the driver's window. 

"I threw my hands up as a gesture for him to pull over -- 'Pull over now' is what I was telling him," he insisted. 

Right after that happened, the car quickly veered to the right and hit Hendrickson.

"I thought I was dead, I mean as quick as it was, I thought it was honestly over with. My arm was in the window and it was hooked.  I remember everything slowed down at the time, I felt like I was going one mile an hour. I could feel my hand start to burning," continued Hendrickson. 

He walked away with fractured ribs, gashes in his arms and legs, and road rash. 

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"My assumption is we are motorcycle riders and we have pretentious names and a lot of people do not like motorcyclists," he said. 

Whatever the reason why, deputies hope the video will lead to the driver of that car. 

"Literally, I don't know him from anywhere," added Hendrickson. 

Anyone with information related to this incident, vehicle, or possible driver is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4317.