ATLANTA (WXIA) -- Greg Germani, the bicyclist who nearly lost his life last year in a case of a motorist's apparent road rage, is expected to find out Tuesday morning what will happen to that driver, who is accused of running into Germani on purpose and trying to kill him.
Fulton County prosecutors say the suspect will plead guilty.
Germani's family told 11Alive News Monday evening that prosecutors will ask the judge to approve a deal to impose a lighter sentence on the driver in exchange for pleading guilty.
"Is it ideal? No, I mean we would love to see him serve the maximum sentence," said Beth Anne Harrill, Germani's partner who is now one of his primary care-givers. Still, Harrill said, the family will accept it.
"As a practical matter, we're satisfied. It allows, I think, justice to be done."
It was on June 9, 2014 when Germani was riding his bicycle in Northeast Atlanta, and the driver of an SUV almost struck him, near the intersection of Montgomery Ferry Dr. and Flagler Ave. Germani and the driver exchanged words, then a few minutes later -- and home security cameras pointed toward Flagler Ave. recorded some of this -- the driver chased Germani down and struck him with his SUV on purpose, dragged him nearly fifty feet, then drove off, leaving him for dead.
Prosecutors call it an alleged road rage incident.
Police later arrested and charged Joseph Lewis, now 20. Lewis was facing numerous charges if the case were to go to trial --
-Criminal attempt to Commit Murder
-Aggravated Assault
-Aggravated Battery
-Serious Injury by Vehicle
-Hit and Run
-Criminal Damage to Property in the 1st Degree
-Tampering with Evidence
-Reckless Driving
-Failure to Report an Accident
-Driving without a Valid License
-Expired or No License Plate/Decal
Harrill says prosecutors have told the family that they are going to recommend that Lewis receive a sentence of 15 years in exchange for pleading guilty to some of the charges against him.
"It allows Greg to move on. It allows us to move on, and just to close the book on this chapter of Greg's life, and just to focus on Greg's health and his welfare and getting better."
Germani was wearing a helmet, but he suffered traumatic brain injury. He told 11Alive's Jeff Hullinger this past June, a year after the crime, that he is fighting to recover, and grateful to family and friends.
"It really has proved to me how good I have it, with all of the family members and good friends on my side, and all the help everybody's giving me," Germani said. "Makes me feel cared about and loved and that's very important."
"Greg has good days and bad days," Harrill said. Some days, Greg has difficulty communicating, and he is still trying to re-learn how to walk.
Harrill praises Greg's many friends who have stood by him and supported him, and is thankful to medical professionals who "saved Greg's life" and continue to administer intensive therapy to help him on his long road to recovery.
Greg Germani founded and operated a popular website, "AtlantaTimeMachine.com," which documented Atlanta history through photographs and championed preservation of Atlanta's historic buildings and neighborhoods.
Donations to a go-fund-me page are helping to pay for some of Germani's astronomical out-of-pocket expenses that insurance won't cover.
Harrill says she will be in court Tuesday to tell the judge all about the monumental impact the crime has had on Greg and the whole family.
"Greg is an extremely resilient person. But a brain injury is not like a broken leg. It doesn't just heal and you move on with your life. This is a life-long injury..... I wouldn't wish this on anybody.... The extraordinary thing about a brain injury is that you really do have a non-quantifiable ability to improve, but we just don't know where it's going to go. But the bottom line is, his life is never going to be back the way it was. And we just make the best of what we can, every single day."
11Alive News was not able to reach Joseph Lewis's attorney for comment Monday.
The hearing Tuesday will be before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Doris Downs, and she will decide whether to accept the plea deal, or order the case to go to trial.
