A heart-stopping video that has gone viral on social media shows two cyclists being struck by an SUV near DFW Airport. The footage captures the moment when one of the cyclists, Tom Geppert, gets run over before the driver speeds away. Miraculously, Geppert survived the ordeal.
“I’m just happy to be alive, to tell you the truth,” said Geppert. “Considering that video, I could’ve easily been in the ICU or dead.”
The incident occurred at 2700 N. Airfield Drive around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. DFW Airport Police reported that a witness provided the video of the event.
The video posted on social media shows a white SUV approaching the two cyclists from behind, hitting them both and causing them to fall. The SUV then runs over Geppert’s thighs.
“Watching the video, I’m so angry. It looked like he could’ve stopped before he rolled over me, but then he sped up and went right over me,” Geppert said.
Fellow cyclists tracked the SUV to a gas station and demanded the driver, identified as Benjamin Hylander, return to the scene. Upon his return, Hylander reportedly began hysterically shouting “I’m sorry” while trying to talk to Geppert.
According to a police report, Hylander’s breath smelled of alcohol. Police found six empty beer cans in a backpack in the backseat of Hylander’s white Subaru Forester and two more beer cans in the grass nearby. A field sobriety test indicated Hylander’s blood alcohol content was .15, nearly double the legal limit of .08.
“To go out and drink and get yourself drunk and drive is a choice that people make, but it’s an incredibly dangerous choice, and this is the kind of thing that happens,” Geppert said.
Geppert, a 69-year-old grandfather and retired physician, left the hospital with cuts, bruises, a fractured rib, and a concussion. His bike was destroyed.
“I think the bike saved me,” he added.
Despite the risks of cycling, Geppert, who has been cycling for 20 years, plans to return to the road someday. He hopes this incident highlights the message, “That we have a right to be on the road.”
Hylander, who worked in cargo for American Airlines, has been suspended. He was arrested and faces multiple charges, including intoxication assault and driving while intoxicated. He remains in the Tarrant County jail as of Wednesday night.
