COLORADO SPRINGS — News 5 followed up on a story we first told you about last week, about a man seriously injured after police said he was hit by a suspected DUI driver while unloading equipment out of his work van. Local Michael Elmore explained how he has stayed positive despite his injuries.
Elmore has had four surgeries and has been in a hospital bed for over a week, and he's expected to have another surgery on his left leg soon. Following the crash, Elmore had his right leg amputated. At first, doctors amputated it at the knee joint, but then decided to move it above the knee. He also had many other injuries, including a shattered left leg, several fractured vertebrae, and breaking his right arm near the shoulder.
Elmore spoke to us about what he remembers from the evening of the crash. "All of the sudden, I'm like being hit with what felt like Thor's hammer... I had no idea that I was being hit by a car, I didn't know what it was, but whatever it was was crushing me...
I didn't know if I was living or dying," said Elmore from his bed at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central.
The musician is now taking it one day at a time, and will head to the rehab floor to start his recovery soon. However, Elmore said he's staying positive about the future. "Not arguing with reality, because reality's going to win the argument at the end of the day. I mean there's just no way around it," said Elmore.
We asked Elmore about the suspect in the case, Tara Studer. "I don't hold any malice against her, I mean sure, I'd love to not have had this happen, but I'm not going to have a heart filled with hate about this for anyone for any reason," said Elmore.
Between two GoFundMe's and a benefit, Elmore said around $30,000 has been raised to help him. "My situation is if I don't work, I don't have a paycheck... Medicaid is an insurance right now, and I think at least for the moment, that I have coverage for a large part of what I'm going through. I don't know with certainty on that," said Elmore.
At the end of the day, Elmore knows he has a long road ahead of him, but he's not alone. "My life is being repurposed right now through the changes that are taking place as a result of the injury. So, I don't know what's coming, I still have a little fear about what the future might look like, but I know that with a little help from my friends, which I have a lot of, that I'll get through somehow, some way," said Elmore.
Elmore said he is going to try and continue with his business, Axxis Audio, by training a crew to help out.
The suspect, Studer, is now out of jail after paying a $10,000 bond. Her next court date is July 30.
