SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) - More than two months after a horrific crash left Shawn Bell with life-altering injuries, he is out of the hospital.
ABC 10News first spoke with Bell in late August from his hospital bed.
In mid-August, surveillance video showed Bell behind his truck, which was parked on Poplin Drive in Santee, as he moved a piece of furniture.
Bell said he was working to strap down the furniture when his friend warned him about an approaching minivan.
“Working on strapping it down. My buddy Ed said, ‘****! Watch out!’ I turned around and saw this minivan full speed at me," Bell recalled.
Because of the graphic nature of the surveillance video, ABC 10News paused it at the moment of impact.
Bell said he blacked out but quickly regained consciousness.
"I could see my legs on the ground not really attached to me anymore," Bell said. "I'm not going to lie. I was convinced I was dead."
Bell, a former National Guard reservist, said he drew on his training and told his friend to apply tourniquets to his legs.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
Bell underwent several surgeries at the hospital. His injuries ultimately resulted in the amputation of both legs, one above the knee and the other below the knee.
More than five weeks later, he was released from the hospital.
When ABC 10News recently caught up with Bell again, he said he was doing better, in part because of the support he has received. But he acknowledged that adjusting to his new life has been difficult.
“It was difficult, the fact I lost the whole life plan I had," Bell said.
After ABC 10News' initial story aired, donations began pouring into a GoFundMe campaign benefiting Bell. The money will help renovate and retrofit his girlfriend's fixer-upper home to better accommodate him.
Bell said the response has made him feel connected to the community.
"Made me feel the love. Just so thankful," he said.
Now, Bell hopes to turn that support into an opportunity to give back. He aspires to become a disability advocate.
His physical recovery also continues. Bell said he has dealt with blood clots in his lungs and a fracture in one leg. He is undergoing physical therapy and working to keep his body in shape before receiving prosthetics, which he expects to happen in about a year.
For now, Bell is focused less on what he has lost and more on what remains possible.
"Not sure what the future will hold, but there is a future for me," Bell said.
This article was adapted from an ABC 10News broadcast script with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by a journalist for accuracy.
