Houston reporting icon Wayne Dolcefino recovering after near-fatal accident

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Around here, we call him Wayne Dolcefino, "death cheater".

"Nine lives baby, nine lives," he responds.

It was April 24, when word came that a Lexus driven by the legendary investigative reporter and media consultant had collided head-on with another vehicle near San Angelo.

Friends and fans feared the worst and with good reason.

"He hit me right in grill and we were both going 75," said Dolcefino.

Dolcefino's body was shattered, the relentless reporter all but gone.

"I've covered hurricanes. I've been in my share of fights. I've seen a lot of stuff, but there ain't nothing like getting hit at 75 miles an hour," said the 60-year-old husband and father.

The wheel chair bears witness -- a hip so badly fractured it had to be completely replaced, both heels pulverized, complications including a near lethal blood clot, and then there is that 10-inch laceration to the skull, the scar of which he will wear forever.

Yes, Wayne Dolcefino's damn lucky to be here, and will have months and perhaps years of pain to remind him.

"There's these trauma doctors and they can put you back together and I got put back together, unfortunately not exactly right," said Dolcefino with a smile.

And yet, 49 days after nearly losing his life Dolcefino's back living it -- wheeling into his Emmy laden, investigative media firm, aiming to fight the good fight for paying clients with a righteous cause. It's what he does, what he's always done.

"My view is that God has saved me because he wants me to mess with some more people who are ripping people off and that's good enough for me, because otherwise he wouldn't have saved me."