LAND O' LAKES, Fla. -- Kirby Sober is well on his way to recovery after his pickup truck was hit head-on by a kidnapping suspect fleeing Pasco County deputies.
The 24-year-old Holiday man underwent surgery and is doing well out of the ICU. He since was placed into a regular room, said his mother, Dottie Sober.
"Thank you again for all the well wishes and prayers that were sent up. Everything is appreciated as are all of you," she told 10News. Her son is resting and had been waiting on a food tray to eat for the first time since the fiery crash.
Suspect Michael Blomberg, 54, led deputies on a chase before 10 p.m. Saturday after fighting with a woman at a gas station near the entrance to the Ballantrae subdivision on State Road 54, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
The clerk called 911 and when deputies arrived, Blomberg drove off westward in the eastbound lanes of SR 54.
Kirby Sober was traveling eastbound and was hit by the suspect's car just west of Odessa Gardens Lane. The two vehicles caught fire.
The suspect, who was believed to have been drinking prior to the crash, died at Trinity Hospital. Kirby Sober was taken to Bayonet Point Hospital in serious condition.
Sober's family set up a GoFundMe page for Kirby, writing he is the sole provider for his family. He had surgery on one leg and with more to come, it's likely Kirby Sober will be out of work for at least six months, the page says.
The fundraising page raised at least $500 as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
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