A Pierce County man is recovering after he was struck on his motorcycle on Sunday by a driver suspected of DUI. But, his life will never be the same.
28-year-old David Rosencrans lost part of his leg in the collision. His mother, LeAnn, is understandably overcome with emotion as the family tries to make sense of such an unnecessary tragedy.
GoFundMe - David’s Road to Recovery After DUI Crash
And, LeAnn has been so strong for her son, who doesn’t remember anything about Sunday’s accident or the last few days. He’s currently at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, recuperating from life-threatening injuries.
“God forbid this happens to somebody else. I thought my son was going to die and I wasn’t here,” LeAnn sobbed. She lives in Alaska but has been by her son’s side since Monday.
David was initially brought to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. However, his injuries were so severe that he had to be transferred to Harborview in Seattle. A severely fractured leg and pelvis. Three broken ribs. And a torn aorta. For her part, LeAnn says she’s relieved those are the worst of his injuries.
“When I had to give consent to amputate his leg to save his life, I was actually happy to do that because it meant he was going to live,” she recounted emotionally.
Through it all, LeAnn says she’s so proud of her son’s resilience.
“I’m so impressed with him. I’m so proud of him for how he’s handling this. Because he’s only 28 years old, and he’s going to have to live the rest of his life with a missing limb because someone chose to drive drunk,” she said through tears.
The last thing David remembers is getting on an airplane in Alaska to return home. He was there to attend and celebrate his older brother’s wedding. Now, three successful surgeries later, he’ll have to learn how to use a prosthetic, walk again, and adjust to a new way of life.
LeAnn and David both say they will be present and heavily involved in the legal process when this eventually goes to court. LeAnn also says we need to reevaluate how we view drinking as a society, from the ads we see on TV, to using alcohol as a coping mechanism.
As for legislation in Washington State that could help prevent future incidents like David’s, there are actually a few new bills that could be passed in 2025.
That includes “House Bill 2196″, which would move the legal BAC limit from 0.08% down to 0.05%.
There’s also “Senate Bill 5032,” where anyone with three or more DUI convictions within 15 years would receive a felony on their next offense. That same “Senate Bill” would also seek to make a driver’s 4th DUI conviction a felony. That number is currently five.
LeAnn says, despite the circumstances, her son’s sense of humor hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s still his same sarcastic self. However, she’s urging everyone to think twice before they hop in a car after a couple of drinks.
Because it could alter the lives of an entire family.