An Army veteran and Georgia firefighter had his third leg surgery Tuesday at UF Health in Jacksonville after being the victim of a hit and run crash on his motorcycle.
Joshua Brothers still has a long road to recovery, even after 13 days in a hospital bed, before he can get back to serving with the Jesup Fire Department, but his team is hoping he can come back soon.
“During his time here, already within two years -- [Brothers] has become a nationally certified firefighter and he has also become a fire inspector," William Miller, Jesup Fire Department Instructor said. "He has aspirations to be a paramedic, and he had just received his EMT certification like a week before the accident happened.”
But on May 28, Brothers' life took a turn during a joy ride on his motorcycle up State Route 303 in Brunswick. The Georgia State Patrol crash report states a Ford F-150 hit Brothers while turning left.
Brothers’ motorcycle then hit a utility pole 11 feet away after impact -- before going another 40 feet into the woods and hitting a tree.
This suspect, who state patrol said hit him, left the scene and troopers are still looking for the man described as 5’10", white with a beard and glasses.
As for Brothers, he is now stuck at UF Health in Jacksonville with serious injuries to his left leg -- hoping he doesn’t need a fourth surgery.
“The bills are extensive for this operation he has to go under," Miller explained.
The Jesup Fire Department put together a GoFundMe page to help its station brother cover his medical bills.
“[Brothers] is on the mend and he’s headstrong. He’s like ‘I’m coming back, even if I have to sit with y’all in a recliner,'" Miller said. "And we want him back, it’s men like him that we look to get to work for the fire service.”
The crash is still under investigation by Georgia State Patrol.