GULF STREAM, Fla. — Diego Rico said he's lucky to be alive after being one of the nine cyclists who were hit by a car in early January along A1A in Gulf Stream.
"I remember flipping and just looking up. I could see the pavement," Rico said. "I said, 'I'm here, I'm alive.'"
The 37-year-old man is now in a wheelchair while he recovers.
"I had 20 stitches on my knee, then I got a shattered pelvis, then I got a major tear in the rotator cuff," Rico said.
He brought along his cycling kit he was wearing the day of the crash, showing its rips, tears and blood stains.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol the driver was a 77-year-old woman who had a seizure, epilepsy or blacked out.
Rico said he has not heard from the woman.
"Do you have a message for her?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
"At this point, I don't even know what to ask the lady," Rico said. "We would like to see her get off the roads because of what happened to us. We feel lucky to be here, but you know maybe the next group of cyclists might not be too lucky."
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Her charges are three traffic citations including failing to maintain her lane, no proof of insurance and unknowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license.
"That's not enough, especially when all of us are going to be left with millions of dollars worth of medical bills," Rico said.
He said he'll need at least six months of therapy before he can work at his construction job, and a year before having full movement return.
"My wife is literally working during the day, sleeping for a few hours in the afternoon and working at night," Rico said.
He said his wife is a housekeeper and at-home nurse.
Since the crash, a group of cyclists have been going from town to town asking leaders for safer road measures and they've also set up a GoFundMe to help the victims while they recover.
"You know you can tell I love cycling man," Rico said. "I just want to get back there see my friends and start riding again and be able to work and provide for my family like I always did."
