CLOVER
Former Clover mayor and well-known horse enthusiast Donnie Burris is recovering after an accident before Christmas in which he was pinned under a car for 10 minutes.
Burris, who served as Clover’s mayor from 2005 to 2007, stopped for fuel around 5 p.m. on Dec. 21 in Walton, Ky., while traveling for work, said Burris’ son Matt Burris. As a part time job, Burris travels to Indiana to pick up campers that need to be transported to the South, Matt said.
Burris’ truck was having transmission issues. So Burris crawled under the vehicle on the driver’s side to fix the problem, Matt said.
While Burris was under the car, the truck moved backwards and the front tire rolled on top of Burris’ top left shoulder and back, pinning him under the GMC Sierra.
The truck weighed several tons, according to a GoFundMe page Matt Burris set up.
Burris was at a truck stop at the time, and it took 10 minutes for someone to see and hear him call for help, Matt said.
After a good Samaritan pushed the truck off Burris, he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Matt said. Burris had broken ribs, a broken clavicle and a collapsed lung.
“His left side is basically just crushed,” Matt said.
Burris spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit but as of Sunday was back in a regular room, Matt said.
“He’s doing a lot better. He’s up and moving around,” Matt said.
Burris is still in pain but is healing. His wife, Teresa, is with him, according to the page.
“As you can imagine, for a guy that doesn’t like to sit still, all of this might as well be torture for dad. While the pain continues, and it will continue, there’s no doubting the toughness of this cowboy,” Matt wrote in weekend updates on the fundraiser page. “He has his good days and his bad days, but to say he’s ready to head back south would be an understatement. We’re doing our best to keep his spirits up, and happy to do so.”
Burris, 62, has a history of being active in the Clover community and is a founding member of the Apple Pie Gang, a group of York County region residents dedicated to horse riding and camping.
He has received community support since the accident. The GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $7,000, surpassing the $5,000 goal.
Matt said people in the community have been asking for a way to help his dad, who helped many others in the York County area.
“He’s always been the first person to help other people,” Matt said. “That’s how we were brought up.”
Allison Love, York County councilwoman for the Clover area, shared the fundraiser page on Dec. 23 on her official Facebook page.
“He was a huge help to me when I was running for office because he knows everyone, and because he is a kindhearted gentleman/cowboy,” Love wrote of Burris.
Burris has medical insurance, but the funds raised will help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses and expenses related to home care, rehab and travel, Matt said.
“We still have a long road ahead,” he said.
Matt said his dad will have to work to restore feeling in his left arm, which sustained nerve damage, and recover from surgery where he had a plate put in due to rib fractures on his left side.
Still, Burris continues to stay positive and is getting stronger, Matt said. He said the donations and words of encouragement from the Clover community are making the difference.
“It’s a blessing. He’s lucky to be alive,” Matt said. “A lot of people are pulling for him. We’ve been overwhelmed with support.”
This story was originally published January 01, 2019 10:45 AM.
