CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A pregnant woman was recovering in a hospital Wednesday after she told deputies that her ex-husband hit her with his car because he thought she was cheating on him, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said Kyle Lewallen, Mandy Young's ex-husband, was arrested Tuesday evening at the scene along State Road 21 near Keystone Heights.
Lewallen, 23, is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Young, a 24-year-old single mother who is six months pregnant with her second child, was hospitalized with a fractured spine after she said she agreed to allow Lewallen to drive her home from work.
News4Jax does not normally identify domestic violence victims, but Young agreed to speak on camera from her hospital bed because she wanted her story told and she wanted to thank two good Samaritans who may have saved her life.
Young told News4Jax that she and Lewallen were driving along S.R. 21 Tuesday when he started arguing with her. She said that's when she asked him to pull over and let her out. She then called her sister, who was listening on speakerphone, along with their father.
"My sister was on the phone, begging and screaming at him to pull over," Young recounted.
She said he initially slowed down to let her out, but when she opened the door, she was shoved out.
"I rolled into the grass," she said.
Young said bad turned to worse when he circled around and started driving toward her.
"I knew something bad was about to happen," Young said. "He swerved into the other lane and started coming into my direction, so I flung my bag and my glasses flew off when he hit my back."
Dale Frazier, Young's father, said he and his other daughter heard it happen over the phone.
"We could hear everything going on before we could get to her," Frazier said. "We heard the thud when the car hit her."
Young said she was hit so hard that she flipped in the air and was momentarily unconscious when she hit the ground. Then, when she came to, according to Young, the car came at her again, but swerved into a ditch to avoid hitting another car.
"I ran into the highway and was waving my arms for someone to stop," Young said.
Two unidentified men came to her aid. She said one stayed with her and called 911 while the other detained her ex-husband until deputies could arrive. Young's father also thanked the good Samaritans for coming to his daughter's aid.
"I just thank you with all my heart and I really appreciate what you did," Frazier said. "If it hadn't been for you two out there, helping the way you did, she wouldn't be here today."
Meanwhile, Young said because of the injury to her spine, she might have to go into labor sooner than expected.
As for Lewallen, he remained in the Clay County jail on $25,000 bond as of Wednesday evening, online jail records show.
Young's father said he hopes the charge against Lewallen is upgraded.