Disabled man falls along Katy Freeway feeder sidewalk, wants anwers
KATY, Texas - Juan Garcia is 63-years-old and a double leg amputee. He tells FOX 26 he was just trying to get to the METRO bus stop, near along Blalock Road and the Katy Freeway, but a hard fall along the feeder left him bruised mentally and physically.
"There was an uneven surface right there, the sidewalk and my front wheels caught it, and it flipped over. I was on the concrete sidewalk for about 15 minutes until I finally moved to the grass and raised my hand up," said Garcia.
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Garcia says he was lying on the hot concrete with no help in sight and watching cars pass along the feeder.
He says nobody stopped to help at first until, thankfully, two Good Samaritans came to the rescue, picked him up, and put him in his wheelchair.
However, in the Houston summer heat, Garcia says he felt helpless, and in pain that he describes as being a 10.
"I hit what’s left of my bones, and there was scratches on my legs," said Garcia.
Garcia also suffered blisters on his hands, because after the fall, the motor in his wheelchair broke. So, he had to use his hands to push himself to a place where he could flag down a passing bus.
"I didn’t have the strength to move. It’s a good thing the METRO was coming, and when I waved my hand at them, they stopped to pick me up, even though I wasn’t at the bus stop," said Garcia.
Garcia was transported to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital where he was kept overnight for evaluation. Thankfully, he did not suffer any broken bones, but bruises and scrapes.
Now he sits and waits for answers – after reporting the unsafe sidewalk to public works last Friday, August 16, the day the fall happened.
We reached out to public works regarding the incident and repair. In a statement, they tell us, "This request falls under a road owned by TxDOT. TxDOT has its own policies for handling sidewalk requests. I recommend reaching out to their team for more information," said Erin Jones, Acting Communications Director, Public Information Officer for Houston Public Works.
FOX 26 also reached out to TxDOT, in an email response, they tell us a public information officer who represents the area would be getting back to us.
We also reached out to the office of Vice Mayor Pro Tem, Amy Peck, who represents the area. She says they will forward the information to TxDOT to see if they can get this matter resolved quickly.