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PROVO — Samuel Harrison was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident nearly eight years ago, but soon he will be driving a car on his own.
In February 2008 — just four weeks after he became a father — Harrison accidentally snowboarded off a large jump he wasn't aware was coming until the last second.
He flipped upside down, landed on the crown of his head, broke his spine at a few different vertebrates and instantly became paralyzed.
With the assistance of the Brighton Ski Resort ski patrol and an off-duty EMT from California that was skiing behind him, Harrison was prepared to be airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.
After enduring rehabilitation, physical therapy and occupational therapy, Harrison studied entrepreneurship at Brigham Young University and started his own business.
Though Harrison has worked to gain strength since his accident, he can no longer use his hands, has limited arm movement and sits in a wheelchair.
Harrison said his wife is an incredible woman and carries so much of their family. But when she went through some of her own personal health problems last spring and was put on bed rest, Harrison decided he needed to be more independent.
In June, Harrison purchased a GMC Sierra 1500, which will allow him to drive on his own. A system called Proxima Nexus Droid has been installed, and the vehicle is equipped with a drive-by wire system that converts the gas, brake and steering into a zero resistance, completely electronic system, Harrison said.
While the car is stationary, a touch screen tablet is available for Harrison to access his secondary controls, such as the windows wipers and ignition. The tablet will also enable Harrison to adjust the temperature remotely before leaving his house.
While driving, Harrison will work with a voice-command system. A local company called Mobility Solutions introduced Harrison to the system, which was invented and installed by Freedom Wheels based in Houston, Texas. Harrison compared his truck to a rocket ship.
The new truck should arrive by the end of this week.
"It's definitely gratifying," Harrison said of being at the point of being able to drive again. "I feel like it's been a long journey and a lot of hard work to be ready to get to this point, and I feel very grateful."
