'It was pretty cool': Irving Park vet, injured in a hit-and-run, returns home to a hero's welcome and plans on walking again
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An update on a hit-and-run that crushed the leg of a Marine veteran in Irving Park.
He's making major progress and now doctors expect he will someday walk again. The vet out of the hospital and telling the story of what happened to CBS 2's Tim McNicholas.
"It's very hard."
If the old Marine saying is true, that if pain really is weakness leaving the body, then Raul Basulto must be as tough as they come.
"That's the goal is for me to eventually walk. Every time I think of giving up, I remember I did other stuff in the military that was a lot harder."
His painful journey started back in May. Basulto was running an errand in the area near Pulaksi and Irving Park. He was standing right behind his own car, getting something from his trunk.
Police say a truck slammed into a car red car parked behind Raul, pinning his leg. The driver of the truck took off.
"When I looked back down to my leg, my artery was spewing blood everywhere. So I was like, oh my god I'm gonna die here."
He grabbed his belt and, with the help of a nearby cyclist, wrapped it around his leg to stop the bleeding. What does he think would have happened if he didn't have that instinct and if a bystander didn't stop to help?
"I woulda passed away."
His leg was crushed and doctors thought Raul might need an amputation. But after multiple successful surgeries with Northwestern, he started rehab at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where doctors motivate him to regain his strength.
"And because they knew I was a veteran, they would say 'okay, when you were in the military did you just give up right away?' No, okay, I'll do one more. I'll do two more."
"He should have a good prognosis to get almost back to normal again," said Dr. Mark Huang of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, who is impressed by Basulto's progress.
"I think it means a lot to be able to be able to witness that progress," Huang said.
Last week, for the first time, Raul was even able to return home. It's where he found a surprise welcome party with his family, his friends from the VFW and some of the Boy Scouts he led over the years.
"It was pretty cool. My biggest supporters."
Now with the help of those supporters, it's not just weakness, but the pain leaving his body. Police are still looking for the driver of that truck, another man was also with him in the vehicle that day.