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West Melbourne hit-and-run survivor still hospitalized, could lose part of leg: 'Hard to process'

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Published  September 10, 2024 4:11am EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando

Victim of hit-and-run grateful for good Samaritan

A man whom police say is the victim of a hit-and-run crash is grateful that a good Samaritan stepped in to help him. The suspected driver was arrested a few after investigators said she fled the scene.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - A hit-and-run survivor is speaking out for the first time since he almost lost his life on a motorcycle in West Melbourne. 

John Powell was riding his motorcycle earlier this month when police say someone hit him and threw him off the bike. The driver, Rebekah Tate, was then caught on surveillance video near U.S. 192 and Dairy Road fleeing the scene. 

Powell hasn’t been able to leave Holmes Regional Medical Center since the accident and has a long road to recovery. He told FOX 35 on Monday he may have to lose part of his right leg because of what happened. 

"It’s hard to process knowing that, the person, she hit me, didn’t really think at all that I was dead. I was alive," said the survivor. 

West Melbourne police say he was the victim of a hit-and-run near the Hyundai dealership in West Melbourne. 

Police officers in West Melbourne worked in collaboration with Indialantic police officers to arrest a 24-year-old driver a few days after they said she fled the scene.

"I would like to just talk to her. Why? Why? Why would you leave? Why would you leave me there? Why wouldn’t you at least stay?," Powell said. 

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Powell says his femur snapped in half and his shin is shattered. Even with several surgeries, he may have lasting impacts from the crash.  

"There’s still a 50% chance that I will lose my right lower extremity," he said. 

The suspect arrested for the crime is a professional ballroom dancer. She was taken into custody at a local dance studio last week.

"You start getting angry about what she left this person in the road," said Geoffrey Sandland, who was at the studio when police made the arrest. He’s the studio manager of Dancin’ Dance Studio off A1A in Indialantic. 

The studio owners spoke to FOX 35 and say they’re horrified someone who used to practice at their studio could do something like that.

"How can somebody just keep a person laying in the middle of the road and just leave them and take off? Not knowing if he’s dead alive, if you can save him, anything," added the studio owner, Heidi Rae Arnold. She said she was especially disgusted by the allegations because her fiancé rides a motorcycle. 

Powell thinks he’s alive because of a good Samaritan, Billy Le Blanc. He was the first person who spotted him lying lifeless in the road.

"If it wasn’t for that guy, I might not even be here," said the survivor. "Billy, if you get to see this, thank you! You saved my life."

Powell is asking everyone to look out for bikers on the road and put your phones down while driving. He says he had a helmet on and was even wearing a vest with lights on it. 

He never thought he’d end up nearly losing his life while riding a motorcycle.

Powell could spend upwards of six weeks in the hospital. His friends started a GoFundMe to help him with expenses during his recovery. 

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