17-year-old charged in hit-and-run that shattered Navy veteran’s legs in Gainesville
A 17-year-old faces a felony hit-and-run charge after being accused of hitting a motorcyclist, who was also a Navy veteran, and driving away, leaving the man with two shattered legs, authorities said.
The incident happened May 5 along Queen City Parkway in Gainesville, police Cpl. Jessica Van told AJC.com. Joshua Gonzalez, 22, told Channel 2 Action News that he was driving home when a pickup truck cut in front of him while making a U-turn on the road.
The pickup truck, which police said was driven by Bryan Lopez, ran over the motorcyclist, breaking bones in Gonzalez’s legs and shattering one ankle, he told Channel 2.
“I was thrown into the air, into the opposite flow of traffic,” he said. “... I was under a car, and my leg was stuck and it looked kind of like a ramen noodles. They’re bunched up.”
Lopez fled the scene, but there were several witnesses, Van said. Officers were able to get his license plate number and arrest the teen about an hour after the crash.
In addition to the felony, Lopez is charged with failing to yield while turning left. He was released from the Hall County jail the next morning on a $5,830 bond, the sheriff’s office said.
Gonzalez, who told Channel 2 he has been through several traumatic episodes while in the Navy, called this “the most unbearable pain in my life.” He added that he likely will not have full function in his legs for a year.
“My legs were all mangled and stuff,” he said, saying he’s undergone three surgeries already. “They had to put braces on to straighten them out.”
In other news:
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
