Three weeks ago, on a Thursday, Lars Anderson was riding his Vespa past the intersection of Portland Avenue East and 80th Street in Tacoma, Washington. That’s when he was the victim of a hit-and-run. Police have been looking for the driver ever since.

New surveillance video has been released by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office in hopes that the public can help track down this driver. It shows a white Mazda MPV with no license plate visible. The van had a stop sign. Anderson had no stop sign, and also had the right of way. 

It’s a story familiar to just about anyone who has ridden for any length of time. Anderson swerved to avoid a collision as the van came through the intersection. The van bumped him anyway, which sent his scooter careening into oncoming traffic, and caused a huge crash. Anderson is currently recovering in a local hospital, where he’s been undergoing treatment for several broken ribs, a fractured vertebra, and major soft tissue damage to his right leg. 

He was wearing gear at the time, and he and his wife credit both that gear and his quick thinking in saving his life. The video above shows just how strong the impact of the scooter was as it violently bounced off the oncoming car in a chain reaction crash caused by that white Mazda.

If you live in the area and saw anything, please call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and tell them about it. You’ll be helping another rider, and this driver clearly needs to be stopped and made to suffer consequences for what they did. We all know that we take certain risks whenever we get on a bike, but that doesn’t mean this person should just get away with any kind of hit-and-run. 

Anderson’s friends set up a GoFundMe for medical expenses. The goal amount has been fully funded, but you can still donate if you wish.

Source: KIRO7 News

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