Cyclist says SUV driver hit him from behind, left him for dead

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The search is on for a driver who slammed into a Cherokee County cyclist and kept going.

Neal Matchan took Channel 2′s Tom Regan through his brush with death while out for an afternoon bike ride along Arnold Mill Road on Memorial Day.

“I’m a very conscientious rider, so I was riding as far to the right as I could, and a car hit me from behind, tossed me from the bike, hit me full speed, never slowed down,” Matchan said. “The smash ... I could feel it in my body, and when I hit the pavement, I couldn’t move.”

Matchan, an information technology professional, quickly realized he was badly injured with what turned out to be a broken pelvis and collarbone. He credits a nearby neighbor with saving him from further injury.

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“(They) heard the impact, went to see what happened and found me there in the road and kept other cars from running over me,” Matchan said.

Investigators found a right-side passenger-side view matching a red GM or Chevy SUV.

Matchan told Regan that the driver needs to be caught and held accountable.

“It’s maddening and frustrating,” Matchan said. “They could have left me there for dead, and another car could have hit me.”

Matchan said he could be in the hospital for at least another two weeks and will then face months of rehab for his broken hip and collarbone.

Investigators are asking anyone that may know who was driving the SUV to call them as soon as possible.

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