Orlando man spent 3 months in hospital after surviving fiery crash
Fiery crash survivor speaks out
An Orlando man who survived a fiery crash earlier this year spoke with FOX 35 for the first time about that frightening day. Brandon Dookharan, 23, lost control of his car back in February after he says a driver suddenly made a U-turn in front of him.
ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando man who survived a fiery crash earlier this year spoke with FOX 35 for the first time about that frightening day.
Brandon Dookharan, 23, lost control of his car back in February after he says a driver suddenly made a U-turn in front of him.
As body camera video the Orange County Sheriff's Office released this week shows, his car caught on fire, trapping him inside.
"At that time, you're really thinking, 'Are you going to make this, or you're not going to make this?'" Dookharan said.
Deputies worked quickly to try to pull him out of the car and put the flames out before firefighters arrived.
"They did pull me out, and I did see another chance to live and survive and go through the process," Dookharan said.
He spent three months in the hospital and underwent more than a dozen surgeries to treat the burns on 43 percent of his body.
"It's been a rough journey," close friend Gabrielle King said. "But he's here alive. That's all that matters."
Dookharan and his lawyer say his hospital bills exceed $4 million. They're working to get that reduced.
In the meantime, he's hoping to receive government assistance to help with his living expenses as he continues to recover from his injuries.
He hopes to one day return to the life he had before the crash.
"I want to get back to work, and I want to be outside again. I want to be doing exactly what I was doing before the accident," Dookharan said.
If you'd like to help Dookharan, his family created a GoFundMe to help with his immediate expenses.