By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
Master’s swimmer Dave Matthews suffered serious injuries after being hit by a suspected drunk driver on June 21 in Richmond, California.
That morning, Matthews was loading items into his car when a driver made an illegal u-turn at a Ferry Point tunnel, hitting a truck. That truck then struck several cars parked along the road, including his.
The impact caused him to become wedged between two vehicles, hemorrhaging blood from both of his legs.
Matthews was airlifted from the scene to John Muir Walnut Creek Hospital in serious but stable condition, and he later had to have both legs amputated due to blood loss.
The driver was arrested at the scene of the incident under suspicion of driving under the influence.
Prior to the crash, Matthews was a Masters swimmer with the Walnut Creek Masters program and was an active participant winning multiple titles at the Pacific Masters Championships. In 2011, he swam over nine miles to become one of only 22 people to ever cross the Pailolo Channel between the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Maui. He has also swum the Strait of Gibraltar .
His family and friends have created a GoFundMe page to pay for his medical expenses. Currently, they have raised over $13,000 out of their $100,000 goal. The doctors expect Matthews to require acute rehabilitation, home care nursing, and prosthetics in order to heal properly. It is unclear whether Matthews will ever be able to return to the pool.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Champion Masters Swimmer Dave Matthews Hit by Suspected Drunk Driver