Charity bicyclist to finish ride to Miami after injury

Jacob Landis will finish nationwide bike ride, months after he was hit on Florida road

TAMPA, Fla. – A man who attempted to ride his bicycle to all major league baseball parks to raise money for charity will finish his ride this week, several months after he was hit by a truck on his way to Miami.

Jacob Landis, 25, was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash in Polk County in September. Landis was on his way to Marlins Park, the last stop on his nearly 10,000-mile journey to raise money for cochlear implants, when he was hit. 

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The cause hits close to Landis, who received an implant himself when he was just 10 years old. Before his injury, he had already raised $170,000 in an effort he called "Jacob's Ride." He had left from his Maryland home in April, visiting 29 ballparks before the September crash. 

Landis made it to Marlins Park, but not on his bicycle. Suffering from a concussion, a broken nose, and several other injuries, he could not finish the final 180 miles on his bike. He vowed to return to finish the ride once he had fully recovered. 

On Wednesday he returned to the spot along U.S. 27 in Frostproof where he was hit and began the last leg of the journey all over again. According to ABC Action News in Tampa, Landis received a police and fire rescue escort for the first five miles of his ride.

He's expected to arrive in Miami for Saturday's Marlins game against the Atlanta Braves. He is inviting the public to join the final day of his journey, in an effort to raise even more money for charity. To find out more about Jacob's Ride and how to join Saturday's event, click here