SALT LAKE CITY – After two and a half weeks in a coma and more than two months in the hospital, a Salt Lake City teenager who was hit by a drunk driver in March of 2015 is back on his feet.
Caleb Stone hopes to get back on his skateboard again eventually, and Saturday he took a step toward that goal.
Caleb served as a guest judge at the We Are One Skate Park's recent competition in Midvale, and while he said judging is fun, he prefers to compete.
“This summer I’ll be back on the skateboard,” he said. “It’s going to feel good to be back, and I just can’t wait.”
The wait for Caleb has been long. Last March, Caleb, then 17, was hit by a drunk driver while on his way to Hillcrest High School.
“A broken tailbone, and from here and here it’s all metal, like my face was broken," he said, gesturing to either side of his face. "And I got a severe traumatic brain injury."
Prowling the sidelines and marking scores isn’t enough for Caleb, who just wants to skate again, but it's more than enough for his family.
“Just having him there to talk to and be with me every day is, that’s enough right there,” said Craig Stone, Caleb’s father.
Stone described the last few months as being like having four billion heart attacks of worry for his son.
“To see him back today and judging the contest, getting him back on track is just a miracle,” he said.
Like skating itself, recovery has its ups and downs, but Caleb said a healthy dose of humor is helping him along the way.
“When you’re at school you have an excuse to say, ‘Oh, sorry, I have a brain injury’ and you get out of pretty much anything," he said with a laugh.
Caleb will have to wear a helmet and face mask, but he should be back on his board this summer.
