OU student injured in scary crash caused by loose tire

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Just over two weeks ago, a loose tire smashed through Colby Ferbrache's windshield.

"I was going northbound on I-35, and all of a sudden a tire that was going southbound in the left lane came undone and then smashed me," said Ferbrache.

We've seen a couple crashes on Oklahoma roads this year similar to this one, with loose tires causing collisions and car accidents.

Ferbrache is a junior at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in Nursing.

The 21-year-old describes seeing his life flash quickly before his eyes.

Ferbrache said he spent nearly a week in the hospital recovering.

He shattered the vertebrae in his neck and needed surgery to mesh the bones back together.

He also said the impact of the tire knocked three of his teeth out

"I just immediately woke up in an ambulance, I was in an excruciating amount of pain in my neck," he said.

Ferbrache is an iron man athlete. The unforeseen incident has put a pause on his progress and journey to meet his goal.

He adds, "I'm a triathlete looking to go pro next year and it really did take a toll on my training as I'm going to be out for about 2 to 3 months."

Despite the setback, he's grateful to still be alive.

Ferbrache said, "One of the main things I'm positive for is just being able to still be here on this earth and be here walking because I know the healing process is slow, but it will get better."

He also shared a message for other athletes who may have had a detour in their journey.

Ferbrache adds, "Always keep your head high because you never know what could happen. And you always got to be thankful for the opportunity you're given that day because you never know when something like this could happen to you.

Ferbrache and his family have set up a GoFundMe for donations as he continues to recover.

If you'd like to help out, you can click here.