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Surveyor hit by a car, left in median hopes sharing story will encourage witnesses to share information

Posted at 4:52 PM, Sep 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-22 18:47:07-04

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. -- A surveyor was doing work in the median of Hillsborough Avenue when he was hit by a car and left for dead on September 10.

Bobby Butler was just beginning his day when the crash happened around 8 a.m. His job is to mark demolition areas with paint.

“They’re reconstructing the medians, turn lanes etc,” he said.

it’s a project that started in August and is expected to wrap up next fall but seconds into Butler’s day, “I bent over and made a mark with the paint, raised up and that’s all I remember,” he said.

That’s when a driver hit Butler from behind with their car and left him bruised, bloodied and unconscious. Thankfully, someone eventually pulled over to help.

“He was, in not-so-polite terms, with expressing himself to the 911 people that he could not believe people were just passing me by,” Butler said.

He believes that man likely saved him from getting hit again.

“I would like to know his name, if nothing else, just to shake the man’s hand and say thank you,” he said.

Now home from the hospital with three cracked ribs, a damaged kidney and other injuries to his body, Butler would like to know who hit him.

“They had to know that they hit me,” he said. “In addition to that, there was heavy traffic so somebody behind them, several somebody’s behind them had to see what happened.”

Butler recently married his high school sweetheart and knows life has more to offer him.

“It’s just not my time, the Lord just said not yet. And I’m so grateful to God that he protected me the way he did,” he said.

If you have any information about the crash — please call the Florida Highway Patrol at *FHP or 813-558-1800. You can also call crime stoppers and remain anonymous.

The Butlers have started a GoFundMe page to help raise reward money for anyone who comes forward with information.