BROWN COUNTY, Ohio -- Aaron Burmeister hasn't been the same since the last day he worked at a Speedway gas station in Mount Healthy. Not the same physically, and not the same emotionally.
Burmeister, 39, admits he started his car to warm it up and went back inside as his shift ended the morning of Saturday, Jan. 16; it's a move police warn makes a vehicle a target for thieves.
And that's exactly what happened to Burmeister: A thief jumped in, and as Burmeister ran outside to stop him, the thief hit him with his own car.
"The right leg, my tibia and fibia were both broken, and they put a rod in through that and my left knee is fractured -- it's a compound fracture, so I have a mobilizer on here right now," Burmeister said.
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He's been staying at his grandfather's house in Lake Waynoka because it's wheelchair-accessible, leaving the father of two about 90 minutes from his home. He spends his days with a physical therapist, instead of with his kids.
He's frustrated because, as he recovers, everyday tasks take longer and are exhausting.
"It will be probably a couple of months before I am able to walk without a walker or crutches or anything like that," Burmeister said.
Worse yet, he said, the man who hit him hasn't been caught. He doesn't really care about the car, he said, just what the man might do to other people.
"I am terrified that he is going to hurt somebody else the same way," Burmeister said. "He obviously does not have any remorse or care for other humans."
Mount Healthy police are looking for Burmeister's car, a silver 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. It has an ARMY sticker in the back and a broken taillight.
There is typically an increase of cars stolen during the winter, according to police. They recommended not leaving cars unattended with the keys inside. Also, instead of confronting someone breaking into a car, call 911, they said.
