NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — John Campos is recovering at a Nashville hospital after sustaining several injuries when a suspect stole his car and lawn-mowing equipment.
Last Friday, officers responded to the scene in Antioch, where the suspect stole Campos' gray and white Dodge Durango with right quarter and front fender damage. Police said the victim’s Durango was pulling an open-end trailer with lawnmower equipment.
Campos said he was preparing his trailer for work and left his vehicle running in the 2400 block of Scott Valley Drive.
The suspect jumped into the vehicle and sped off. The victim was hanging on the trailer and fell off, and the trailer ran over him.
"The more I realized that like, I really could have like died, that could have been it. Honestly, I could have lost my life right there," said Campos.
Campos gave an interview from inside his hospital room.
"I was just getting ready, and there there's like a sense of a random suspect walking around the neighborhood. I took my eyes off for a second. Next thing you know, my car was gone," he said.
Campos said he was getting ready to cut some lawns as part of side business when the suspect started to drive off. He was still on the back of the trailer.
"I'm telling them to stop, stop and obviously he didn't. So my best bet was to jump at that point. I didn't know if he had a gun or not. There's so much that could have happened. I don't know myself," Campos said.
Campos said he ended up with three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, six stitches on his head.
His SUV, trailer and lawn equipment are all gone, and so is the person responsible.
"I hope they really catch this guy. Honestly, I don't know. It's not OK," he said.
Campos said his main focus right now is recovering.
The suspect fled in the direction going north on Edge-O-Lake towards Bell Road. The suspect threw the victim's cell phone out the window, and it was located in the 2500 block of Edge-O-Lake.
Campos described the suspect as a white man with blue eyes.
A GoFundMe account was set up to help Campos with his medical expenses.
