A good Samaritan appeared when emergency crews couldn’t see him and rescued him, the injured rider said.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A group motorcycle outing turned into a nightmare for Donald Blue, a local father and baseball coach from Fort Worth, who is now recovering from multiple injuries following a major crash on I-35W near the Presidio Shopping Center on Friday.
“It’s extremely painful,” Blue said from his hospital bed in the intensive care unit, struggling to move his arm. “I can’t even raise it half an inch.”
Blue was one of 17 people injured in the crash that shut down part of the busy interstate. According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, the chain-reaction wreck began when a motorcyclist at the front of the group blew a tire. Roughly 15 motorcycles were involved.
“I saw the rest of the pack coming, so I jumped over the barrier so I wouldn’t get hit,” Blue said.
Fourteen riders, including Blue, were rushed to local hospitals, the Fort Worth Fire Department said. Despite his serious injuries — including a broken shoulder, nine fractured ribs, and a punctured lung — Blue said one of the most painful moments was watching his best friend fly through the air after being struck.
“By God’s grace, he came out pretty much unscathed,” he said.
Everyone survived.
As he lay injured, Blue said his thoughts turned immediately to his children.
“I have to stay alive for my kids,” he recalled thinking.
His youngest son, who overheard a phone call about the crash, dropped to the ground and started praying.
“He said, ‘Jesus, keep my dad alive,’” Blue’s wife, Bianca Blue, said, holding back tears.
Blue credits a good Samaritan with saving his life after he was no longer visible to emergency crews.
“He pretty much saved my life, and I owe him everything,” he said.
As he begins the long road to recovery, Blue’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical and rehabilitation costs. One of the hardest parts of recovery, he said, will be stepping away from his passion for riding motorcycles.
“It’s one of my biggest hobbies,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m going to have to give it up.”
Despite everything, Blue said he’s just grateful to be alive.