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More info as I get it, woooooooo!
But that's the best kind of news.
Hoping for more to come!
Update - Johnny Montes
HE IS AWAKE!!!!! The news we have all been waiting for. He is still in ICU but fighting like the pro racer that he is. This is going to be a very long road of recovery, but with everybody's prayers and support he will get there.
Anyone have an update? Seems like a cool dude that is loved by many. Thanks
Pit Row
While we're going with this east coast theme, I am excited to post this next bit. I gave injured pro rider Johnny Montes a call last night to check in with him. As you probably know, Johnny was seriously injured while driving his truck to work a couple months ago. I asked him to sum it all up for us. Here's what he had to say:
DMX: Johnny, great to get a chance to talk to you. We’ve all been following along with your progress on Facebook and I’m glad to hear you’re on the road to recovery. If you wouldn’t mind, could you take us back to the beginning and tell us just what the heck happened?
Johnny Montes: I was driving to work and I hit a piece of black ice and I lost control. Unfortunately, I was stupid and I didn’t have my seat belt on and I got thrown from my vehicle. I had a guy with me and he only had a couple scratches on his arm and he broke his arm but that’s it.
I don’t remember any of the crash. I don’t remember really anything for the last two months. I don’t remember Christmas or really anything. I’m starting to remember more and more now because my friend has really helped me through all of this.
I never parked in a wheelchair parking spot, I always follow the law, I never talk bad about anybody else or make fun of anybody because you never know if you’ll be in that same situation one day. I want to believe that because of those choices God decided that it wasn’t my time to go. It’s totally woken me up and opened my eyes. The world is completely new to me. I can’t even describe it. If I tried to describe it, people wouldn’t believe me.
I was never religious but I always believed in God. I always believed that ‘the man upstairs’ decides when it’s our time. On that day, God was looking down on me. He wanted to teach me a lesson and that’s why I am the way I am now.
My head was split wide open. I’m lucky that I’m even here today; I shouldn’t be! The doctors all said I shouldn’t be. I’m lucky to have survived I guess. I’m fortunate enough to be here and tell you that I’m living proof that miracles do happen.
I feel fine and I’m getting better every day. I’m at the major head trauma place for New Brunswick…basically, for Canada. They’re working their magic and I’ve come a long way.
People try to tell me where I’ve been but because I slept through it all I don’t even really believe it. I was in a coma for almost 30 days. It doesn’t even make sense.
I can’t really walk yet. I walk with a walker. This place is teaching me how to walk. I can sit here and I can move my feet, I can move my legs, I can move my hands and I can move my arms. I’m sitting here in front of my laptop right now just talking to people as I normally would. Other than sitting in a wheelchair, you would really think that I was fine.
Can you give us a list of your injuries?
I had 3 broken bones in my face—my eye socket, and my cheek, I had 3 broken bones in my hand, I had 3 broken vertebrae in my neck, my leg wasn’t broken but it wasn’t normal, my upper body was all damaged…I was a mess! And they had to put me in a coma for almost 30 days!
One of my best friends was one of the first-responders and he didn’t even recognise that it was me. He just recognised the truck. My head was so swollen and my body—my arms and my legs—were just…I was a mess!
A girl came to see me two weeks ago and she started crying. I asked why she was crying and she said, “You have cheek bones!” She couldn’t believe that I had no idea how bad I was. She said that my face and my cheeks were so swollen that she couldn’t even recognise it was me.
I didn’t have my seat belt on and I believe I went through the windshield but I don’t want to ask anybody because I don’t really want to remember it. I think it’s better left alone. I know that I was thrown from my vehicle and onto sharp rocks.
My friend had just dropped her husband off at work—who works with me—and she was one of the first ones there. She basically saved my life. If it wasn’t for her…let’s just say I’m lucky.
If I sit in a normal chair I feel like nothing has happened. I got my neck brace off today. I had to wear a full-blown neck brace…a ‘halo’ ever since the crash. I can move my neck all around. I got the wrist brace off. I’m just trying to get my leg back to normal so I can walk. I don’t have my motor skills so that’s what this place is trying to work on. I can move everything. If you looked at me now I don’t even look like I’ve been in a crash. All I can say is I’m lucky.
I want to thank all the people out there for having me in their prayers. A lot of people said a lot of nice things to me. I want to thank all the people who said anything to me!
So we’ll see you hanging out at Riverglade next summer.
I’ll hopefully be doing better than hanging out! The plan right now is just to walk but I will ride again. That’s all I’ve really ever done is race motocross so if I can walk then I will ride again. I’m almost back to where I was—I’m almost there.
Come to the Toronto SX and hang out.
I plan to. It just depends how rehab is going and how I’m feeling. No one can tell me how long I’m going to be here. It’s all on me right now. I got my halo off today so I’m one step closer. As soon as I can walk, a lot of things are going to start to happen. I just want to sit beside all my buddies and shake everybody’s hand and say, “It’s good to be here.”
http://www.directmotocross.com/news/features/2013/02/frideh-update-5-pr…
That had a lump in my throat - go Johnny!
We have an excellent rehab place here in Fredericton, the Stan Cassidy Center.
Good luck Johnny, thanks for these updates.
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