Teen football star who rushed to mother’s aid, faces amputations, long recovery

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A 15-year-old has a long recovery ahead of him after family members say he was dragged by a car while helping his mother.  

Witnesses say it happened last Monday outside Charles Drew High School in Clayton County. 

"I didn't think this would ever happen to me or my son, ever," Raven Winston said.  

Winston stepped outside her son's room at Grady Memorial Hospital on Thursday; he was recovering from a near-fatal accident that had occurred over a week earlier. 

"He and I were on the car speaker[phone] talking. I was telling him that I know it was dark out here and the clouds are coming but will be there in a moment," Winston said.  

Winston was heading to school last Monday to pick up her son, De'Lon, from football practice when someone hit her car. 

"A truck came and struck me, speeding from that way, swinging me around. I could hear him on the car speaker saying, 'I'm coming mom, I'm coming,' but I was in so much pain and the wind was knocked out of me, and I was trying to say, ‘It's OK, don't come,’" Winston described.  

As any son would, De'Lon went running to help his mom along with the coach.  

"As they are walking me along the back of the car to get me onto the sidewalk, my son went to grab headphones out the car. Another car was coming, and you could hear them blowing their horn and instead of swerving into the next lane, they hit my car and drag him with them. It was the worst day of my life," Winston said.  

The teen's left leg and femur bone were broken, his knee shattered and there were deep and long cuts on both sides down to the ankle as doctors tried to save his left foot.  

"With his right leg unfortunately, he lost that on the scene so for right now he is potentially able to get a prosthetic," Winston said. 

His spirit is also broken, as the promising football star's career is now sidelined. 

"He was a captain and everything. That's something I need to work on too because he cries and says he can't believe this happened. He just wanted to help, and he didn't want this," Winston said. 

Right now, this mother says she wants her son to feel love and support. 

"No matter what, don't take anything for granted," Winston said.  

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