Derby teen nearly killed by drunk driver shares story

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Over Super Bowl weekend, law enforcement agencies in Sedgwick County arrested 16 people for driving under the influence. With the awareness at the forefront, a Derby teen, nearly killed by a drunk driver, shared his story and a message calling on people to think twice before getting behind the wheel after partying.

One of the best bowlers in the state, Jason Miller dreamed of rolling more perfect games. Everything changed last summer, putting his athletic goals on hold.

“I had just gotten off work at TJ Maxx in Derby, on my way home in my mom’s minivan and the last thing I really remember from that night is getting woken up by a man yelling from outside the car, just waking up in a carful of airbags,” Miller said. “Next time I wake up, I’m in the hospital, just completely out of it. I had no brain function at that point in time.”

A drunken driver hit the minivan, head-on.

“He did run a .14 blood alcohol level and was under the influence of THC,” Miller said.

The teen was in the hospital for two weeks.

“my right leg was completely fractured and one of the bones came out of my skin,” he said. “My right arm was broken, my right wrist was dislocated, my left foot had a bunch of different fractures, my left hip was essentially destroyed. I did have emergency surgery on my internals, for my liver, spleen and mesentery that were all bleeding.”

Miller said his family has had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills because someone made the decision to drive under the influence.

“When you’re driving, it’s already a dangerous task and when you add alcohol and drugs into it, it becomes much more dangerous,” he said. “No only are you putting your life at risk, you’re putting other lives at risk. It’s completely avoidable. It’s as simple as calling an Uber.”

Getting around in a wheelchair, Miller continues to recovery, but because of a stranger’s wrong decision, he can’t do the thing he loves the most.

“I bowled and I can’t bowl anymore,” he said. “Bowling was my thing. It’s just been really hard for me and my family,” he said.

For those who would like to assist Miller in his recovery, a GoFundMe page was created to help the teen and his family with medical expenses.

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