One week later: Roush discusses plane crash

FONTANA, Calif. -- Though Jack Roush has no recollection of the circumstances that resulted in his plane crash last week, he is well aware of -- not to mention humbled and baffled by -- those that spared his life.

Just eight days after crashing an experimental aircraft near Troy, Ala., Roush met with the media via teleconference Saturday from his hospital room in Birmingham, Ala. Still on heavy medication, his words were broken at times, but for the most part he spoke in typical Roush fashion -- calculated and articulate.

The fact that he was talking at all is nothing short of miraculous.

"I would estimate less than five people in 100 would survive such extensive injuries, much less be on the phone a week later," said Dr. Samuel Windham, who has treated Roush since the incident.

Windham estimated Saturday that Roush will have healed totally from rib fractures, a lung injury and a closed head injury in four to six weeks, and that he'd be back to full form in two or three months. Roush suffered multiple fractures to his left leg in the accident, including a compound fracture of the femur.

His recovery has been rapid. In a one week span, he's been upgraded from critical to satisfactory condition.

"We'll all been very impressed with his ability to overcome these injuries," Windham said.

While recalling his hellish week, one that included myriad surgeries, Roush continually cracked jokes on himself and praised the heroic effort of Larry Hicks, the unassuming retired Marine that saved his life.

"I guess if there hadn't been an improbable set of circumstances …" said Roush, opting not to finish the dreadful thought. "You have to be surrounded by the right people, and have the right circumstances for surviving. I certainly had that.

"We had a little birthday party (Roush's 60th) and I had the chance to fly this little airplane. While doing that, something went really wrong for me. I have no recollection. I can't know if I had trouble with the aircraft or if I had a pilot problem, of judgment. I ran into a wire."

Hicks saw the accident, and without hesitation manned his boat and paddled out to Roush's upside down plane. He dove in, through a layer of jet fuel. On his third dive, he found the cockpit, snapped it open, removed Roush from a harness, pulled him to the surface, revived him, then performed live saving CPR -- all without stable footing. He couldn't touch bottom.

Roush cannot even fathom Hicks' courageous act.

"He was trained to go down and get pilots out of airplanes," said Roush, obviously choking back tears. "Larry Hicks. How can that be? He tells his wife he loves her, then said he was going to do whatever he can. He jumps in the water with this fool that's just crashed his airplane upside down in eight feet of water.

"It's a lot to ask. Third time he goes down, he finds Jack, in a harness that he was familiar with to the touch, I guess. He pulls Jack to the surface. He executes timely and critical CPR. I don't know what we'll do for Larry Hicks. But we'll think of him in our prayers."

Roush has yet to meet Hicks, but has every intention of doing so before he returns to Michigan. He is scheduled to leave Alabama next week. He said he has had no interaction with his teams, but has visited with Mark Martin twice. He only remembers the second visit.

"Mark Martin has been a partner, a pillar," Roush said. "He epitomizes what people would like to think their drivers are."

Roush said that he will have no reservations about flying once he's fully healed.

"I'll still fly," Roush said. "As soon as they'll let me. As soon as they decide my leg's okay. I was out of my element, and I ran out of time, out of my element. I had no options. By whatever means I got into that wire, at that time, interrupted the airplane's ability to fly. The airplane went upside down, and I went into the water with fuel, with a hot engine."

Somehow, an inexplicable set of circumstances were melded together and his life was spared.

"I'm humbled by what's happened," Roush said. "I feel pretty good actually. My feet are pointed the same way, both eyes are straight ahead. All my tubes are out, but one tube with antibiotics. On a scale of one to 10, I'm about an eight right now."