A 48-year-old cyclist is recovering from serious injuries — including a broken leg, broken arm, fractured disc in the back, and significant mouth, scalp, and skin damage — after he was hit from behind by an SUV on Meridian Road on Saturday afternoon.

Cyclist Lance Lewis needed six hours of oral surgery just to repair mouth tissue damage after the crash, said his father, Ed Lewis.

Meridian police cited 47-year-old Rhonda Herriott of Kuna on a misdemeanor charge of inattentive driving in connection with the crash.

Police say Lewis was in the bike lane on Meridian Road, going southbound, near Rosalyn Court (between Overland and Victory roads) around 5 p.m., when he was hit from behind by an 2010 Subaru Forester, driven by Herriott, who was also going southbound.

The force of the impact threw Lewis from his bike. Several people who saw what happened stopped to help, including a nurse who helped administer first aid until paramedics arrived, according to police reports. Ed Lewis said that was fortuitous because the nurse was able to clear dirt out of Lance Lewis’ airway to allow him to breathe before paramedics arrived.

Police investigated the crash and interviewed Herriott at the scene before charging her with inattentive driving, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $300 fine.

Ed Lewis said his son Lance is a serious cyclist who bikes about 120 to 150 miles a week and was training for a road race in Montana when he was hit Saturday.