In May 2023, 16-year-old Caleb was riding in the bed of a friend’s pickup truck. Going 65 in a 30, the truck hit a culvert and flipped. Caleb was ejected from the truck bed and landed in the middle of the street.
The crash broke his spine, snapped his wrist and caused a traumatic brain injury. Once Caleb arrived at the medical center and the medical team evaluated him, they realized that they would need to do a craniectomy. That’s a surgery where part of the skull is removed to take pressure off the brain. The skull is not immediately replaced, but left off until the brain has healed.
Richard Boyer, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon with the medical center, did the craniectomy. No surgery was needed for the spinal injury. Instead, Caleb wore a brace until his spine healed. A couple of weeks after entering the medical center, Stephanie Scott, MD, a general surgeon, performed surgery to repair Caleb’s wrist.
About a month into his recovery, Caleb, who wore a helmet to protect his head, went to Shepherd Center in Atlanta to receive treatment. He attended PT daily and, after two weeks at the center, he was jogging on his own.
By August, Caleb was back home, and in September, Boyer reattached his skull, so Caleb could leave the helmet behind. In January 2024, Caleb went back to high school on a part-time basis. His driver’s license was reinstated a year after his accident, and now he drives himself to school and to work out daily. Now 18, Caleb plans to go to Pellissippi State Community College and continue his education.
"Caleb suffered some short-term memory loss at first, but his recovery has been nothing short of miraculous," said his mom, Jaime. "Now, you’d never know to look at him that he’d been in an accident. He’s making the most of his life."
Why It’s Dangerous To Ride in the Bed of a Pickup Truck
According to Tennessee Traffic Safety, more than 200 people die each year as a result of riding in the cargo bed of a pickup truck. More than half of these deaths are children or teenagers. Pickup trucks are not designed for people and offer no protection during a crash. Here’s what makes them dangerous:
- No safety restraints
- Riders are exposed to elements, road debris and carbon monoxide
- Passengers can more easily be thrown from the truck
According to one study riders are three times more likely to be killed in the open bed of a pickup than in the front seat. To be safe, ride inside the truck and wear your seat belt.