ST. LOUIS – Police are still seeking the suspect of a hit-and-run in October. Joe Tyler said his wheelchair saved his life, but he was dealing with the damage afterwards.
Tyler was in his wheelchair walking his dog, Skiff, when a driver hit them at 12th and Russell in the Soulard neighborhood and took off.
“Still have tremendous back pain, and I’m going to physical therapy,” Tyler said.
Surveillance video showed the moment Tyler and Skiff were hit. The driver can be seen leaving Tyler in the middle of the street.
Luckily, he was able to get back to his wheelchair, but said duct tape is now holding together the wheelchair that saved his life.
“All the sides were damaged. They were coming off. The front wheels were bent a little bit,” Tyler said.
His story caught the attention of Whill, a wheelchair company.
“It is really hard to talk about because when you see the video itself, it is just shocking. The driver taking off,” Adil Dean said.
Whill jumped into action and flew a new wheelchair out for Joe. They also threw in a new toy for Skiff, who was uninjured. Tyler said he’s shocked by the support.
“Just really grateful for the beautiful people that are around me daily and people that care,” Tyler said.
Police are still looking for the driver. They are asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers 1-866-371-8477 (TIPS)