'I Was In Survival Mode:' OKC Cyclist Pushing For Awareness While Recovering From Hit-And-Run

A cyclist who was struck by a vehicle last month in Oklahoma City is now working to raise awareness for other cyclists on the road.

At around 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, Heather Laufer was cycling down Northwest 36th Street towards North Meridian Avenue when she was struck by a vehicle that kept driving away. 

Laufer said she was wearing and had attached every safety precaution possible, but the force of the impact was like nothing she had ever experienced before. 

"They left me without knowing if I had survived the impact or not, which is the hardest thing I've had to digest since the accident," Laufer said. 

Two drivers later saw Laufer waving her one arm and stopped to call emergency services. 

Laufer spent five days in the hospital as doctors treated her for punctured lungs, broken bones, and nerve damage. 

"I can't extend my left wrist, thumb or fingers," Laufer said. "I just feel extremely lucky to have survived that impact." 

While on the road to recovery, Laufer wants drivers to be more aware and patient when it comes to cyclists on the roads. She said that bicycles are considered vehicles by law. 

"I think everybody is so hurried and they feel that cyclists on the road are an inconvenience," Laufer said. "These are public roads that need to be shared." 

Laufer said she is expected to make a full recovery, and once fully healed, will continue her passion of cycling. 

"It's like the machine of freedom," said Laufer. 

Oklahoma City Police have not found the driver responsible for hitting Laufer, but police recovered the side mirror of the vehicle involved from the scene. 

If you have any information, call Oklahoma City Police. 

Click here to donate to Laufer's medical expenses.