Marc Michel shares his journey of resilience as he rebuilds his life after a brutal attack left him paralyzed, while Houston police seek justice for him.
HOUSTON — For the first time since a brutal attack and hit-and-run left him paralyzed, 37-year-old Marc Michel is sharing what he remembers from that night — and how he’s fighting to rebuild his life.
Michel has spent the past four months in a rehabilitation facility in Schulenburg, where he’s learning how to live as a paraplegic.
“Right now, I’m paralyzed from the waist down,” he said from his room. “It just altered my whole life… my life with my girlfriend, my work ethic, playing with my nephews. Everything in my life is really hard.”
A night that changed everything
Michel’s life changed in the early morning hours of June 18. The previous day had already been difficult — he had lost his job and was having issues with his landlord. After spending the day drinking, he ended up at a bar in the Montrose area.
Just after 2:30 a.m., surveillance video shows Michel standing at the corner of Crocker Street, trying to steady himself, when a dark-colored Kia Soul drove up.
“He said, ‘Hey, [expletive]!’ and he sprayed me with bear spray,” Michel said. The slur has been removed for broadcast.
Blinded and in pain, he stumbled into the street. Video shows him clutching his face, falling to his knees and unable to get up.
“There were business vans and cars driving around me… nobody helped me,” he said. “I was just stuck in the street.”
Moments later, he was hit by an oncoming car — believed to be a red Ford Focus — at high speed.
“This car sped up, going about 50 miles an hour at least,” Michel said.
Investigators say the impact sent him flying an estimated 25 yards. He somehow survived, but the damage was devastating.
‘I pretty much lost everything’
“I’ve always been an athlete. I’ve always loved playing sports,” Michel said. “There was no reason for someone to do what they did to me.”
After weeks of surgeries in Houston, Michel was transferred to the Schulenburg rehab facility, where he’s learning how to navigate a future that looks nothing like the one he imagined.
“It just altered my whole life, you know. My life with my girlfriend. Playing with my nephews. Just everything in my life is really hard. Part of me wants to just sit in bed and feel bad for myself… but I have to force myself to get up every day and keep fighting,” he said.
Despite everything, Michel says he forgives the people responsible.
“I forgive those people. I just don’t want to see anybody else get hurt like I got hurt.”
HPD still searching for two drivers
Houston police are still trying to identify two people:
The HPD Major Assaults unit is leading the investigation.
Michel hopes someone will come forward.
“I know it was done intentionally. I know it was done out of malice,” he said. “Those people should be held accountable.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Houston police at 713-308-8800.
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