WASHINGTON COUNTY, Okla. -- Family members are calling it a miracle that a 21-year-old man survived a fiery wreck where a deputy came to his rescue last week.
Alex Solis-Rangell was flown to a Tulsa hospital after Washington County Deputy Carey Duniphin pulled him safely away from the burning vehicle that he flipped into a creek on March 26.
Solis-Rangell has since had five separate surgeries for the extensive injuries he suffered during that crash.
"He had two (surgeries) on each leg," Rolando Solis, Alex's older brother, said. "He has a problem with one of his lungs, broken ribs and a broken jaw."
Rolando said the doctors expect his brother to remain in the hospital at least another week, but he likely will not be able to walk for three to four months. He said it's tough to see his formally active, athletic brother in such bad shape.
"It's a hard change from what we're used to," Rolando said. "Just to have such a tragic event happen, it's definitely changed our lives."
Rolando said that his brother can only communicate right now by writing on a clipboard because he cannot talk with his jaw wired shut from surgery. He, however, said his family cannot thank Deputy Duniphin enough for what he did in such a dangerous situation.
"He was very brave to do that," Rolando said. "He gave us our brother back, my brother back."
A family friend set up a fundraiser online to collect donations to help cover the mounting medical costs. You can find a link to the GoFundMe page here.
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