A Georgia man working hurricane debris cleanup on Navarre Beach, Florida, fell 14 feet from a truck and landed on the roadway, where he was then hit by two cars. Matthew Bell is now recovering after multiple surgeries, and this week he took his first steps since the crash.
A Fall, Then Impact on the Roadway
According to WEAR-TV, Bell was working in Navarre Beach when he fell 14 feet off the truck and onto the road, and was then hit by two cars. The station reported Bell is 27 years old. WSB-TV, however, identified him as a 28-year-old bluegrass guitarist who was working in Navarre Beach on Oct. 27.
Accounts of exactly what happened before Bell hit the pavement differ. WEAR-TV reported that Bell was operating the boom on a debris truck when a power line clipped him. WSB-TV's version describes a low-hanging cable striking Bell while he was riding on top of a moving debris-removal truck, causing him to fall from the truck onto the roadway. Navarre Press offered yet another sequence, reporting that Bell fell from a debris-removal tractor trailer and was run over by the trailer and a passenger vehicle near 8082 Gulf Blvd. — not two separate cars, as WEAR-TV and WSVN both reported.
Severe Injuries and a Friend's Quick Action
Whatever the precise mechanics, the toll on Bell's body was severe. WEAR-TV reported he suffered two broken shoulders, broken ribs, a broken jaw, a dislocated hip and a collapsed lung. In the chaos after he hit the road, Bell said his best friend, Grant, shielded his body from more oncoming traffic, according to the same report.
Bell has undergone multiple surgeries since the crash, and the station's account notes his recovery has been slow but steady. On Monday, he took his first steps since the accident, a milestone WEAR-TV described as part of his ongoing recovery.
Looking Ahead to Guitar and Grateful to Be Alive
Bell told WEAR-TV he's determined to get back to playing music once his body allows it. “As soon as I can build my strength back up in my shoulders, I'm getting right back to it,” he said, referring to his guitar playing. CBS News Atlanta reported that Bell said he is grateful to be alive following the fall and the hits from the cars that followed.
No primary incident report has been made public detailing the exact circumstances of the crash, and Bell's current medical status beyond his first steps this week has not been reported. The discrepancies between outlets — over his age, the number of vehicles involved and how the fall began — remain unresolved in the available coverage.
