In February 2020, Bruce Mezan faced a near-death encounter due to a DUI driver. While en route to lead a motorcycle safety class at 6:30 a.m., an incapacitated driver in an SUV collided with him at 50 mph as he rode through an intersection in Rancho Santa Fe.
Following the accident, in which he lost his right leg below the knee, Bruce spent most of the next nine months learning to walk again. Recuperating, and doing out-patient physical therapy, slowly transitioning from a bed in his Living Room to a wheelchair then to a walker. Eventually, he began the long process of getting fitted for a prosthetic.
Bruce was determined to document not just his own limb loss experience, but also that of the young man who collided with him. He believed that sharing his story and the profound impact on his life could be even more persuasive in dissuading others from drinking and driving. It’s a stark reminder of the consequences one faces when making the dangerous choice to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
Bruce now engages with high school students, collaborates with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and collaborates with news outlets to emphasize the preventable nature of tragedies linked to drunk driving.
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