A man who was struck by a semi hauling a mobile home this past summer, is still recovering three months after the collision.

Sam Miller of Saskatoon was driving at night with two friends southbound on Highway 19 just north of Elbow when a mobile home in transport struck the truck, demolishing the drivers side with Miller inside.

“Thank god the force pushed the seat back, otherwise he would have been killed,” said Jake Douglass, a close friend of Miller 

The other two passengers in the truck with Miller, told Douglass that after the truck was hit, Miller was unconscious and his foot was still pressing on the gas. They were however, able to remove his foot from the pedal and stop the truck on the side of the road.

The passengers said they do not remember seeing a pilot truck or anything identifying a wide load on the semi. They also said they recall the semi stopping on the highway after the collision, before continuing down the highway. After the RCMP were on scene and gathered details, they went to find the semi driver and located him approximately an hour later on a grid road in the area. At that time, a pilot truck was present. Reportedly, the semi driver, Alfred Douglas Tizard, said he was unaware that he had hit anything.

Although the two passengers didn’t sustain major injuries, Miller wasn’t so lucky as he was air-lifted to Saskatoon. His left arm was severed from his body as he was struck by the mobile home, and suffered additional trauma that left him in a coma for two weeks and also suffered three strokes within the first month following the accident.

Miller, until recently, has remained in the hospital to monitor his injuries including short-term memory loss from the accident. During his time in the hospital, Douglass explained that some days were better than others but Miller was very apt to forget the day or month or conversations from the previous day.

Despite the life-changing accident, suffering from head trauma and losing an arm, Douglass said that Miller has always maintained a positive attitude and has kept his focus on recovery rather than submitting as a victim.

After months in the hospital, Miller was released on November 7, 2018. He is said to be living with his girlfriend, Marissa, who Douglass says, has been by his side since day one and who had only been dating Miller one month prior to the accident. Those close to Miller have set up a go fund me page to help raise funds for life after the accident as well as a prosthetic arm.

The driver of the semi has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop after an accident, he is scheduled to appear in court in Outlook on December 20, 2018.