Fighting the battle: Creech Airman shares journey after almost deadly motorcycle accident

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES

01.31.2019

Video by Airman 1st Class Haley Stevens  

432nd Wing   

In the wake of an almost deadly motorcycle accident, a member of Team Creech found support in not only his immediate family, but Air Force family as well. Capt. Travis has overcome several obstacles on his path to recovery. Check out his story here:

#KnowYourMil #Motorcycle #ACC



Capt. Travis: “I remember, my first memory that actually stayed, I was like, gosh.”
[Police sirens in the distance]
Capt Travis: “This is a crazy dream, what a crazy dream this is.”
Text: After an almost deadly motorcycle accident… Capt. Travis was left with a large memory gap… and an appreciation for life’s little victories.”
Capt Travis: “I can tell you what I’ve been told.”
[Motorcycle sound fade in]
Capt Travis: “It was probably around eight o’clock at night. I was going to meet a friend and his sister for dinner. I guess I left my house around eight, I went downtown. All the damage on the car was on the corner of the bumper and all the damage on my bike was on the side. So I think we may have come around like (motions collision with hands) this and merged into each other.”
Capt Travis: “Either way, the bike hit the car. I flew 70 feet, the bike slid like 200 feet.”
Capt Travis: “You always hear you know, dress for the crash or whatever and it’s not a question of if you’re going to wreck, but when and I was like ahh, not me, you know? I’ll never have a wreck, I’ll never crash and then sure enough, it happened and I’m definitely glad I was wearing like probably over a thousand dollars of gear.”
Capt Travis: “I broke my tibia, I broke my clavicle, broke my sternum, I had the – separated my jaw from my skull, I had the orbital blowout fracture, I had two basal skull fractures, I ended up having two head bleeds – one subarachnoid and one subdural which is like above and below like the skin of your brain.”
Capt Travis: “I guess there was some doubt as to whether or not I was going to have like long-term effects at first but I felt like pretty lucky to just be around at all.”
Capt Travis: “My commander found out. He was on vacation at the time with his family but it didn’t matter. Him and the shirt still took the appropriate action, notifying my family, right? Because I was in critical condition, like nobody was sure whether or not I was going to live or die at all, so like time was of the essence.”
Capt Travis: “The biggest thing that helped my recovery was definitely my family coming out, but then also my Air Force family, my friends in my squadron that helped support my mom, dad, brother and sister during that process.”
Capt Travis: “In those times when my mom was alone, sitting in the hospital, sometimes in the evenings, sometimes late at night, my commander or his wife would come to the hospital and sit with her and keep her company while she was alone. She loves the Air Force for that.”
Capt Travis: “Part of my physical recovery was my horse Indy. I’d had Indy for several years. She was patient enough to help me take baby steps to work back to where I could just ride her all through the mountains and through the desert and stuff again.”
Capt Travis: “I just remember something my little brother told me who at some point grew into a wise man. He was like yeah, you know, in this whole recovery process you just gotta focus on like the next thing, like just the very next step. Nothing cosmic, you know.
Capt Travis: “When I was like still in the hospital and still on convalescent leave, I was just thinking about, like I hope I don’t have any permanent repercussions from all this. You know, I hope I can stay in the Air Force.”
[Plane engine sound fades in]
Capt Travis: “Maybe one day I can fly again, but I’m still fighting that battle.”

• Date Taken: 01.31.2019
• Date Posted: 01.31.2019 14:51
• Category: Package
• Video ID: 657338
• VIRIN: 190131-F-UA265-556
• Filename: DOD_106413941
• Length: 00:03:07
• Location: LAS VEGAS, NV, US