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07-10-08, 12:29 PM
Cyclist assaulted with a baseball bat, by car's passenger:
Reward Offered in Drive-by Assault on Lakeland Cyclist, 78
By STACY JONES
THE LEDGER
Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:43 a.m.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080710/NEWS/807100539/0/ELECTIONS
"LAKELAND - The health benefits of bike rides have their limits, avid Lakeland cyclist Richard French has found. French, 78, was the target of an unidentified attacker who struck him in the back with a baseball bat while hanging out the window of a passing red van.
After some X-rays and tests at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, doctors determined that French had no internal injuries, and released him after the June 14 incident with a foot-long bruise across the middle of his back.
To help catch his uncle's bat-wielding attacker, Edward J. Levins, 76, of Gadsden, Ala., is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, French said. He described Levins as a multimillionaire who used to own more than 40 McDonald's franchises.
Levins said he has since sold the restaurants and now owns about 20 Party City stores, including one in Lakeland.
"It just made me angry to hear that somebody would sneak up behind him on a bicycle and hit him with a baseball bat," Levins said. "He's a real good guy, too. Doesn't have an enemy in the world."
The effect of a reward has been limited by its lack of publicity, French and Levins said. But they remain hopeful that the money may persuade someone familiar with the batter to come forward.
"I would think that whoever drove the car would think that that was a dastardly crime to begin with, and if they could profit $10,000, then they would turn him in," Levins said.
French echoed his nephew's reward philosophy.
"The driver might say to himself, '$10,000 might look good in my pocket,' and turn in the passenger who did it," French said.
In his 22 years of cycling, French has dealt with his fair share of heckling and harassment from motorists who see cyclists as unwelcome obstacles on the road. Drivers have yelled and thrown the remnants of slushies and fast-food drinks at him. However, the bat incident is the first to have sent him to the hospital.
He was riding along Wiggins Road, about a quarter-mile north of Medulla Road, in Hillsborough County when he heard a vehicle approaching from behind.
Although he uses a rearview mirror on his bike, French said, he typically does not check on every approaching vehicle he hears. Moments later, he was struck hard on his back.
French said he was able to stop his bike without tumbling off, but later fell to his knees from the pain.
As he looked up, initially thinking he had been hit by a careless driver's rearview mirror, he said he saw something a little more troubling.
"I saw this kid hanging out the passenger window brandishing a baseball bat, and looking back to see if I was dead, fallen over, or hurt," French said.
French called 911 from his cell phone."...
Reward Offered in Drive-by Assault on Lakeland Cyclist, 78
By STACY JONES
THE LEDGER
Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:43 a.m.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080710/NEWS/807100539/0/ELECTIONS
"LAKELAND - The health benefits of bike rides have their limits, avid Lakeland cyclist Richard French has found. French, 78, was the target of an unidentified attacker who struck him in the back with a baseball bat while hanging out the window of a passing red van.
After some X-rays and tests at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, doctors determined that French had no internal injuries, and released him after the June 14 incident with a foot-long bruise across the middle of his back.
To help catch his uncle's bat-wielding attacker, Edward J. Levins, 76, of Gadsden, Ala., is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, French said. He described Levins as a multimillionaire who used to own more than 40 McDonald's franchises.
Levins said he has since sold the restaurants and now owns about 20 Party City stores, including one in Lakeland.
"It just made me angry to hear that somebody would sneak up behind him on a bicycle and hit him with a baseball bat," Levins said. "He's a real good guy, too. Doesn't have an enemy in the world."
The effect of a reward has been limited by its lack of publicity, French and Levins said. But they remain hopeful that the money may persuade someone familiar with the batter to come forward.
"I would think that whoever drove the car would think that that was a dastardly crime to begin with, and if they could profit $10,000, then they would turn him in," Levins said.
French echoed his nephew's reward philosophy.
"The driver might say to himself, '$10,000 might look good in my pocket,' and turn in the passenger who did it," French said.
In his 22 years of cycling, French has dealt with his fair share of heckling and harassment from motorists who see cyclists as unwelcome obstacles on the road. Drivers have yelled and thrown the remnants of slushies and fast-food drinks at him. However, the bat incident is the first to have sent him to the hospital.
He was riding along Wiggins Road, about a quarter-mile north of Medulla Road, in Hillsborough County when he heard a vehicle approaching from behind.
Although he uses a rearview mirror on his bike, French said, he typically does not check on every approaching vehicle he hears. Moments later, he was struck hard on his back.
French said he was able to stop his bike without tumbling off, but later fell to his knees from the pain.
As he looked up, initially thinking he had been hit by a careless driver's rearview mirror, he said he saw something a little more troubling.
"I saw this kid hanging out the passenger window brandishing a baseball bat, and looking back to see if I was dead, fallen over, or hurt," French said.
French called 911 from his cell phone."...