Houston man shares inspiring story of resilience after losing legs in drunk driving crash

HOUSTON - A young man whose life was forever changed by an intoxicated driver is sharing his story for the first time publicly.

"It changed my life when I just looked down and my legs weren't there anymore," explains Jeremiah Lewis.

The backstory:

It was February 13, 2021, around 4:30 a.m. and then, 23-year-old Jeremiah Lewis, had just gotten off work from his second job and ran out of gas. He was pushing his truck to a gas station when another driver, "Going over 80 miles an hour and just slammed into me. No brakes, no skid marks, no nothing. While I was pushing my truck just boom, catapulted me. I had it in neutral. It just shot me forward, lost my legs on impact. I've always been nice to people in wheelchairs. I never wanted to end up in one. I felt so sorry. I just wanted to do things for them. I always opened doors, carried their groceries out, whatever I could do to make their life a little easier. So, when this happened to me. It was like my worst nightmare come true," he says. 

"He lost his legs out there, and they brought the legs with them to the hospital and that's why I know it's a miracle. All the blood he was born with, he lost it, but he's still here. They didn't think he was going to make it, and they told me over and over again and my husband gathered us together, and we held hands, and we prayed," explains Jeremiah's mom, Lucretia Lewis.

According to court records, the woman who hit him, La'Iesha Foxworth, had traces of marijuana and alcohol in her system.

What they're saying:

"She was charged with Aggravated Assault with Serious Bodily Injury and her sentence was eight years probation, no jail time, but whatever she got would never equate to the damage she's done to me. I would like to see justice done and her being in jail and know at least a little what it's like to lose her freedom like I lost mine. Unfortunately, that's not what the courts decided," Jeremiah explains.

"Every day I have to look at him and I have to find a reason to be thankful or a reason to hate, and I choose not to hate. When I look at it from the spiritual side, I have to say I forgive. When I look at it from my human side, I hurt, I cry because look at what you did to my son. You almost killed him, and you won't even say you're sorry. She's never apologized," says Mrs. Lewis. 

"She tried to bill our insurance to fix her car while I was fighting for my life," Jeremiah adds.  

Mrs. Lewis gave Foxworth a necklace, and bought one for herself.

"I wanted her to remember she holds the key to her future and what she did to my son. I gave her a photo of my son with his legs, one without his legs. I also gave her some spiritual material, and I told her if she ever needed a church home, we would be there for her. (Why would you be there for her?) Because Jesus is there for me," says Mrs. Lewis.

"Her message is different from mine. It's just my message is more along the lines of just be responsible. The thing I hope for her now is she learns her lesson and doesn't drink and drive. A lot of people call it an accident. I call it a choice," says Jeremiah.

He says he's grateful for a recent gift, a donated wheelchair that allows him to go to the beach, and it lifts so he can speak with people at eye level.

"My life is pretty much on a battery and if this (wheelchair battery) runs out, I'm stuck like Chuck, and I can't do anything. It shows me how much independence I've lost even with this magnificent chair. I loved playing football and when I got to high school, I fell in love with wrestling, so I did them both. I was very proficient. My nickname was Hercules," Jeremiah smiles.  

He still works out and has dozens of Instagram posts to prove it. Jeremiah hopes to get a job, get married, and dreams of having his own family.

"I've had 23 surgeries, and I might need to have more. It's just, I suffer from very bad neurological pain. Every single day, every single minute, I'm always in pain," he explains.  

"This doesn't define who you are as a man. It's just a tragedy that happened to you, unfortunately. We have a God who gives you everything you need, and he will never leave you, and he will never forsake you, even in the midst of this trauma," says Mrs. Lewis. 

"That's what I've been hearing these past years. My mind knows it, but my heart feels a different way. Life is so different now. The insurance constantly denies me for things I need. I'm always bumping into things here at my parents' house, but I keep a positive outlook. I hope I can motivate and inspire others," says Jeremiah.

"With God, you can do anything. Nothing is impossible. God never fails," Mrs. Lewis says to her son as they do a special handshake and then hug.