A soon-to-be grandfather fights for his life, while his family and friends turn to the public for help in finding the driver who put him in the hospital.
John Simpson, 50, remained in critical condition at UMC-Brackenridge Hospital Monday evening.
Simpson, a chef at the Austin Children's Shelter, was riding his bicycle to work aournd 6 a.m. Sunday when he was struck from behind by a vehicle at Berkman Drive and 51st Street. Passerbys were the first to discover him lying in the street.
"We don't know exactly what happened because it was a hit and run, but it seems like he was in a bicycle lane just riding down the street and I'm horrified that you can't ride safely in a bicycle lane," said Cynthia Stein, a friend of the Simpson family. " If somebody witnessed it, I would really hope that they would come forward and give us some details about what happened. If they're the person that did it ... I wish they would step foward and take responsibility."
Little is known about the vehicle which hit Simpson and kept going. If you have any information on Sunday morning's incident, please call the Austin Police Department tip line at 974-5789.
