Because so many of you are praying, I wanted to give you all an update on what we have found out about John, the man who ran into my husband, RenRed, Saturday morning.  You can read the original post to get the whole story.

RenRed is doing amazingly well.  I would have had him stay home from work a few more days, but you know how some men are....  The doctor told him to use his leg, so he went to work Tuesday morning.  Physically, he's getting better every day.  He's still very tender emotionally, and still upset with the system that lets drunks/druggies drive around on our streets.

Again, thank you for all your concern and caring.  Your prayers mean so much to us.  Here is what has been going on:

I've never lived in a small town, so the interconnectedness of small town Texas is new to me.  It truly is where everybody knows everybody.

The guy who towed our car knows John, having had to pull him out of a ditch when he was using a tractor to travel up and down the road and managed to turn it over.

A bystander took pictures which were published in the town's online newspaper.  Would they give us her email?  Sure.  She sent us the other pictures she had taken at the scene.  She said that John's mother was worried about RenRed and wanted his phone number or address.  She had had no news about what had happened to the person her son hit.  RenRed gave his number to pass along.

A colleague of RenRed's made a call at the plant located in the town, and the workers there were still talking about the accident.  RenRed's friend told them he knows RenRed.  They told him that the doctors were going to have to amputate John's arm and leg.

Hearing that, rather than wait for John's mother to call, RenRed found her phone number online and called her.  She was genuinely relieved to here that he is okay.  He ended up talking to her for over an hour.  She had done everything in her power to keep him out of that car.  Early Saturday morning when she left the house John was sober and she thought the car had no gas.  She had checked the guage and it registered empty.  She left with her sister on a shopping trip to the nearest town.  They actually saw the police car and ambulance, sirens blaring, as they headed down the road.  She had no idea it was her son.

She told RenRed that John has a broken left leg that required surgery, a broken wrist, a broken jaw, and tomorrow the doctors will do reconstructive surgery on his face. He may have to have his leg amputated, but the doctors think now that he will live.

The state trooper told RenRed that the reason it has taken the doctors so long to do anything about his leg is that he already has pins and rods in it from a motorcycle accident.  Yes, he was drunk.  The trooper also told him that his preferred method of anesthetization is not alcohol, but pills.  He's been in and out of mental hospitals for the past 15 years, so he has easy access to free medication.

The guy he got the car from also has four DUIs.  The car actually belongs to a third party whose last name we recognize.

Punishment for 3rd offense DUI in Texas is 2-10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.  Or evidently if you live in Shelby County, six months probation.

We are grateful that John will live.  He has a long road to physical recovery ahead of him.  His spiritual recovery is less certain and may take longer.  We can only pray.

RenRed is going to the hospital Saturday to meet John's mother.  I am hoping to be able to go with him, but I have showings - a good problem to have, but I would like to meet her, too.  No word yet on the insurance payout.

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