Victim In Deadly 'Affluenza' Teen Crash Talks For The 1st Time
TARRAT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - For the very first time we're hearing what happened one year ago, this week, when a group of teenagers left a party and piled into Ethan Couch's pickup truck. It's a firsthand account of the devastating crash by a teenager who now admits making mistake, being frustrated, and counting his blessings.
Solaiman Mohmand sat quietly in court Thursday morning next to his father. The family was waiting for a Tarrant County Judge to finalize a settlement with Couch's family.
Thinking back to the night of the crash Mohmand recalled, "I would blame Ethan just because we were all drinking that night. We didn't know, I didn't know how much… how drunk he [Couch] was."
We know now the truck would eventually crash into two vehicles pulled over on the side of the road. In all four people were killed and other suffered major injuries, injuries including Mohmand and his best friend Sergio Molina.
Couch has admitted he drove drunk and caused the crash. A judge sentenced Couch to probation and he's been serving time at a rehab facility.
"It's just hard for me. Really stressful," Mohmand said.
The now 16-year-old was riding in the bed of Couch's pickup at the time of the crash. He says he had just met him through another friend. "We were at Ethan's guesthouse and we were planning to go to I think to get food or something."
Mohmand said he doesn't remember much, but his father says his body was found about 30 feet away from the pickup. He had a broken vertebra; sternum and his lungs had collapsed.
Mohmand said, "My limit was at a .08 and I thought he [Couch] had drank as much as I did. I guess before he left he had chugged a bottle of liquor."
After more than a year Mohmand's family finally reached a settlement with the Couch's. He'll be getting $350,000, which will cover medical expenses and also part of his college costs.
Mohmand, a junior in high school, says the settlement is far from closure. He worries about Sergio Molina, who was also in the pickup and is now paralyzed.
"Until Sergio is getting better that's whenever it's going to get over for me," he said, adding, "Because Sergio is still laying down, paralyzed, and is not able to talk or move."
The teenager said he blames himself for going to the party. He feels that he was lucky and is grateful his injuries weren't more severe.
"I'll always have pain in my back," he said. "I guess I have a second chance at life."
CBS 11 News tried to talk to the Couch family attorney, but he wouldn't comment. The drunken teen's family has now settled six civil lawsuits -- including Mohmand's.
Another pending lawsuit involves a teen who witnessed the crash and lost a very close family friend.
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