Family of Pensacola man paralyzed in hit-and-run crash hopes reward will lead to arrest

The family of a Pensacola man who was struck by a car while riding his bike is offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest in the hit-and-run crash that left the man paralyzed from the waist down.

Ronald Fodge left home on his bicycle early on Oct. 21 to make it on time for his 4 a.m. shift at the Walmart on Blue Angel Parkway. He was struck by a car about 2:30 a.m. while riding on Gulf Beach Highway.

Fodge was thrown behind a pile of debris left from Hurricane Sally, where he laid in agony for about 12 hours with a broken back before he eventually caught the attention of passers-by. The 39-year-old was airlifted to a hospital and has since undergone several surgeries.

"He had back surgery to stabilize his spine. He has three rods and 12 screws," his wife Shellie DeNisco-Fodge told the News Journal on Monday. "He is having surgery today to stabilize his pelvis. He has two broken ribs and extreme sunburn from being out in the elements."

As of Monday, Fodge remained paralyzed from his belly button down and had no sensation from his chest down, according to his wife.

The family is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can provide information to the Florida Highway Patrol that leads to an arrest in the case. As of Monday afternoon, the case remained under investigation.

"We are still investigating the incident," FHP spokesman Master Sgt. Ron Livingston told the News Journal. “We are looking into things and still have a few more people to interview.”

DeNisco-Fodge begged anyone with information about the collision to come forward and call the FHP's Pensacola station at 850-484-5000.

"If he wasn’t found, he would have died," she said. "Please, if you know anything, please come forward and say something."

Fodge wasn’t found until about 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21, about 12 hours after authorities believe the crash happened.

“No one heard him. No one could see him. He was conscious almost the whole time,” DeNisco-Fodge said. “We don’t know for how long he lost consciousness, but it wasn’t for very long because it was still dark when he woke up.”

Unable to move his legs, it took Fodge about 12 hours to finally attract someone's attention.

"He always wore a reflective safety vest when he rode. He took it off and put it on a stick and waved it around," DeNisco-Fodge said. “I don’t know their names, but a couple finally saw him and helped him."

DeNisco-Fodge and her husband have lived in Pensacola for about six years. The couple, who have been married for nine years, moved back after DeNisco-Fodge persuaded her husband to return to where she trained to become a U.S. Navy cryptologic technician at Corry Station.

DeNisco-Fodge said that she and her husband's doctor remain hopeful that one day Fodge might regain sensation in some parts of his abdomen.

"I don’t know if he’s quite processed it all the way yet," she said. "I can talk about it now without bursting into tears. I couldn’t talk about it the first few days without crying."

Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.