Only On 9: Navy Veteran Seriously Injured After SUV Crashes Into Barbershop Speaks Out
LAKEWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The communities of Lakewood and Long Beach are rallying to help two barbers seriously injured when an SUV came crashing through their shop on Tuesday.
In a story that is Only On 9, KCAL9's Erica Nochlin spoke to one of the injured men -- a Navy veteran -- who is now recovering at St. Mary's Medical Center in Long Beach.
When you're about to turn 79-years-old, attitude is everything. Ask an always upbeat Dick McClenahan.
"Can't let anything get me down," he told Nochlin.
Not even an SUV slamming into him and sending him flying across the room.
"Turned around and all of a sudden I seen myself whizzing passed and glass flying everywhere," he said. "The whole van was sitting in the barbershop."
McClenahan has cuts all over, four broken ribs and torn tendons.
"It knocked my shoes right off," he said.
McClenahan also remembers seeing his 60-year-old co-worker, another barber, who got hurt even worse.
The owner of the barbershop told Nochlin that Michael Murphy has a broken pelvis and may have suffered a heart attack while dealing with the trauma.
The owner, Jeff Sutton, set up a You Caring page to help both men with medical expenses.
McClenahan has worked in the community for five decades.
"I have customers that got sick and in the hospital, I'll go give them a haircut, go to the house when they get shut in, that's my job," he said.
In a twist of fate, even the man who slammed his SUV into the shop -- and accused of being drunk while doing so -- was once McClenahan's customer.
"He's going through enough punishment, the way I figure it, you know," McClenahan said.
And that is who McClenahan is, Nochlin said. Worried about others, eager to get back to work.
"As soon as I get this fixed, I'll be back to work," he said.
McClenahan is expected to be released from the hospital in the next day or two.
Editor's Note: If you want to help both of the victims, a fund has been set up for them. Click here for more information about the You Caring page.
