HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Michael Lewis lost his leg, fractured his face, and suffered multiple other injuries when another car crashed into his motorcycle in April and drove away. Two months later, he's out of the hospital and focused on healing.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Keely McCormick first met Lewis at his bedside in the hospital in April. This week, we sat down at a restaurant with his friends by his side a simple setting he says is a blessing in itself.
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"Just normal life, getting out of the hospital has been very beneficial for my mental," Lewis said.
Pieces of his green motorcycle were left scattered at the scene after the crash.
As he reflects on the last two months of healing, Lewis says he's beyond grateful for a new lease on life.
"It's a long road, it's been painful, it's been very inconvenient, but that's what we gotta do. At least I'm still here to go through it," Lewis said.
The motorcycle community has also rallied around him. Hundreds are coming together to raise money for Lewis and to spread awareness about motorcycle safety in hopes of preventing future tragedies.
"Look twice before you make a lane change, make a turn, see a car turning on — be as safe as you can, and always wear your safety equipment," motorcyclist Charlie Buntin said.
As for justice, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says there has still been no arrest and that the investigation is ongoing.
That may bring frustration for other victims but not Lewis.
"I'm not angry mainly because I'm alive, and I'm able to have all these friends around, and I'm still able to live a life regardless of what happened," Lewis said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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