Despite being hit by a pickup truck, Holmes Beach City Commissioner Pat Morton is in good spirits.
Morton told The Islander Jan. 29 that he was recovering at HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton following surgery for chipped vertebrae from getting struck by a vehicle the prior week.
Morton also sustained kidney damage and a fractured pelvis from the crash.
The crash happened Jan. 25 in the parking lot outside Ace Hardware, 3352 E. Bay Drive, where Morton works.
Morton said he had looked both ways before crossing the parking lot and did not see anyone.
“It was a beautiful morning. … I’m walking along, thinking, ‘This is going to be a good day,’” Morton said. “No sooner than I thought that — smack! Next thing I remember was seeing the sky, then I was coming back down and seeing the hood of the truck, and the next thing I know I’m looking about five inches from the wheel.”
He said the motorist drove through a stop sign and struck him about four feet past it, sending him flying about five feet.
Morton said the motorist — who told police he was unable to see Morton because the sun was in his eyes — exited his vehicle to help him.
One of Morton’s coworkers from Ace heard the crash and left the store to help. She called 911 for emergency medical services.
Morton said he knew some of the first responders who arrived,
and they helped keep his spirits up before transporting him to the hospital.
He said he has begun physical therapy and believes he is lucky to only sustain the injuries that he did.
“It’s working out and I just feel that I’m blessed that that’s all I got out of this whole thing, and I’m not going to complain,” Morton said.
In the meantime, he hired the Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan law firm to seek damages and lost wages from the motorist who hit him.
“I’m not going to be greedy. I mean, I’m just going to go after what I need,” Morton said. “I have to think about taking care of my wife and me.”
Morton, who went home Feb. 2, has long been the caregiver for his wife but he said he was looking for some assistance at home with housekeeping and meal preparation.
He added that when he returns to the dais, he wants to propose adding speed bumps in the parking lot where he was hit since motorists often drive too fast through the area.
“This has been a learning experience for sure,” Morton said. “We need to make this parking lot safer.”
The motorist was charged with being at fault in a pedestrian crash and was given a court summons by the police.