Biker left to die after fall from bridge is heard screaming 13 hours later, wife says
A Missouri man survived a 13-hour harrowing experience after being left to die in an incident his wife calls “rage inducing.”
Wendy Koch expected her husband, Jeremiah Koch, home by 9 p.m. on May 29 as he was out for a birthday bike ride along the Katy Trail in Jefferson County, she said in a Facebook post.
The nighttime hours turned into morning, with Wendy Koch growing more concerned for her husband, who never arrived home.
Finally, she received a text.
“I am alive. I am headed to the hospital,” the text from Jeremiah Koch read, according to his wife.
The frantic wife rushed to the hospital with her children, where Jeremiah Koch was being treated for broken bones throughout his body.
Now, authorities are investigating the incident and are looking for an SUV driver accused of running the bicyclist off the road.
‘Out to run someone over’
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the bicyclist was discovered over the concrete barrier of a 22-foot bridge just after 9 a.m. on May 30. He was lying injured for more than 13 hours.
In a detailed statement after being taken to a hospital, he said the driver of a gray SUV was driving toward him on the shoulder around 8 p.m. the previous night, the sheriff’s office said.
“Jeremiah says they looked right at each other and this guy was out to run someone over,” Wendy Koch said. “He was headed at him in the bike lane, not moving over.”
In a split-second move, he jumped off his bike to avoid being struck, falling off the bridge.
The sheriff’s office said the SUV driver fled the scene.
“He left him for 13 hours to die,” Wendy Koch said. “I have a few things I’d like to discuss with him.”
‘All the pain. ... All the fight’
Jeremiah Koch never lost consciousness following the near-fatal encounter, but his wife said he was unable to move.
“He stayed awake for the entire night... All the pain... All the fight to not succumb to injuries, dehydration,” she said. “He said at some point in the night he had to stop yelling for help because the coyotes were getting closer.”
He eventually moved 20 feet to drink from muddy river water. Later, he moved another 15 feet closer to the road, according to Wendy Koch.
Two pedestrians eventually heard his yells and called 911. First responders were left in disbelief.
“The EMT couldn’t believe him but had to because he looked like he’d been out all night in the elements and his pack and clothes and body were mangled,” Wendy Koch said.
‘He’s happy he’s alive’
Jeremiah Koch is now recovering in a hospital and is set to undergo multiple surgeries, his wife said.
His injuries, according to Wendy Koch, include a broken sacrum, ankle, knee and multiple ribs. But three days later, he got back on his feet with the assistance of a walker.
“He’s happy he’s alive, so he’ll smile,” his wife said in a June 2 post. “Most people will never experience what he went through to survive and what he will go through to get back to 100%.”
Authorities are seeking any information related to the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 573-564-3378.
This story was originally published June 5, 2024 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Biker left to die after fall from bridge is heard screaming 13 hours later, wife says."