SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man who survived a wrong-way crash last year is reuniting with the first responders who helped save his life.
During a ceremony Tuesday, Marcus Frutchey, 26, thanked the crews from Seminole County Fire Station 12 and a medical team with Orlando Health.
“They saved my life,” Frutchey said. “Without the first responders, it wouldn’t have been possible for the surgeons to do what they did.”
On Oct. 29, 2023, Frutchey was involved in a head-on crash with another vehicle going in the wrong direction. Officials said both vehicles were traveling around 60 mph when the collision happened.
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“I can just remember being in the back seat. 12 out of 10 pain from my abdomen and just like rolling around asking what happened,” Frutchey said.
When firefighters arrived, they said Frutchey was found on the ground with severe injuries due to the high impact of the crash.
Frutchey’s injuries included severed intestines, 13 broken ribs, broken bones in his back and hands, and a punctured lung.
On Tuesday, the Seminole County Fire Department presented the crews at Fire Station 12 with a unit team citation for their life-saving efforts.
Doctors said in the seven months since the wreck, Frutchey had 10 surgeries and has made a remarkable recovery.
Frutchey said his progress was only possible because of the quick action of those who saved his life and the support of his family.
“Everyone was just always by my side and that in itself was very uplifting and it felt like I could get through this moment,” he said.
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