GOODYEAR, AZ — At his home in Phoenix, Clay Wells now has a ramp up the steps to his front door. He walks around with a walker, bandages are still on his knees and scars are on display.
From a man who could ride dozens of miles in one day to slowly being able to walk, that’s the reality Wells is going through now.
“I was scared to death. I woke up, both feet were three to four times the normal size swollen and I couldn't move, and I didn't have any recollection of the accident,” Wells explained.
A pickup truck driver hit Wells, along with 19 of his other cycling friends with the West Valley Cycling group, while they were all riding on the Cotton Lane Bridge just south of MC 85.
Two people died in that crash — 61-year-old Karen Malisa, who ABC15 spoke with the family after the crash, and 65-year-old David Kero, who was visiting from Michigan.
Others injured in the crash had injuries that ranged from mild to severe, and Wells was one of the more critical cases.
It took him more than 80 days after the crash to finally come home.
Wells went through five surgeries for 12 different injuries which included a shattered pelvis, punctured bladder, broken collar bone, and fractured ribs all on the left side of his body. He also was in a medically-induced coma for nearly two weeks.
“The other thing I really struggle with is, why me? Why was I picked, chosen to survive, and others weren’t?” he questioned.
Though the tattered clothes he kept from the crash tell the story of what happened, Wells said he remembers nothing. Everything he knows about the crash is from what others told him.
He tells ABC15 the last thing he remembers is slowing down on his bike to the back of the group on the bridge. He didn’t remember about five weeks of events after the crash.
“I was conscious. Some cyclist friends of mine came up and said I was still conscious and complaining about how bad I hurt,” he said, getting emotional.
Nonetheless, Wells pushed through. Wells stood up for the first time about four weeks ago, walking shortly after.
On May 19, he finally left a medical facility and went home.
“I continue to go to physical therapy. If you'd seen me six weeks ago, I couldn't even turn over to my side in the hospital bed,” he said.
The recovery has been difficult, but he’s continuing on with the support from his wife, his friends, and cycling community that’s reached out to him from all over the country, and his beloved West Valley Cycling group.
“The ones in the West Valley, they still go… They look forward to the day I'll be riding with them again, and I hope that day comes,” he said, emotionally.
Wells hopes to be independent again, not wanting to need his wife to do things and do it all on his own, even if he has to wear a brace or use a cane.
While he looks back at his recovery, he’s amazed at what he’s accomplished and knows he still has much more to go.
“There’s a cycling term, it’s called margin gains. Just a little bit. Each day. Just a little bit. Now, this would be one step at a time,” he said.
The group still has a GoFundMe account with funds going to all the victims and their families.
As for the driver who is accused of hitting the group of cyclists, the man was not formally charged. After the crash happened, Goodyear Police submitted several charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. However, prosecutors sent the case back to Goodyear Police, saying it needs more investigation and to resubmit the case.
Goodyear Police tell ABC15 the case is still under investigation. They would not tell ABC15 what the results of the man's blood sample was. The department said it is still looking for more witnesses from the crash. As for the suspect, no new court date has been set for him.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating this crash.
