PONCHATOULA, La. — The family of a bus driver in Ponchatoula is asking for help after the driver's face was crushed by a school bus while he was doing tire repairs.
Derrick "Dink" Graves was working on a bus Monday when the jack stand he was using gave out, causing the bus to fall on his head, according to a GoFundMe page set up for his recovery efforts by Amy Graves.
While his exact condition is unknown, family members said he was alive and stable.
"He and his family have a long road to recovery," the GoFundMe page said.
Marshall Graves, the nephew of the injured man, told the Hammond Star that he was called to the scene where his uncle was injured.
“When I got there, he was out and sitting up. He was definitely conscious,” Graves told the newspaper. “He was able to talk.”
Marshall Graves reportedly said that the rear fender came down onto the upper part of his face, damaging his eyes and nose.
Amy Graves said as of Thursday evening, Derrick Graves had had two surgeries; one for his eye, and one for a feeding tube.
On the GoFundMe page, Derrick Graves was described as "a family man who works hard to provide for his family and the countless others he helps throughout the community."
So far, the campaign has raised just over $13,000 of its $15,000 goal towards supporting Derrick Graves' family while he is hospitalized.
Anybody interested in donating can do so here.
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