"I remember it all:" Man seriously injured in Festival Foods crash released from hospital, shares update on wife

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For the first time since getting run down in a grocery store parking lot, a Racine man is talking about the crash that left him and his wife seriously injured.

"I remember it all, I was never unconscious," Jeff Coopman said.

Jeff Coopman will be released from the hospital Wednesday as an amputee. His wife, who is in much worse shape, is still in the ICU.

A trip to the grocery store is what changed their lives. "It's horrific something like this can happen on a Sunday morning," Jeff Coopman said.

As he was leaving Festival Foods in Mount Pleasant last month, Jeff and his wife Cheryl were run over by a car.

Behind the wheel was Isaiah Degroot, a teenager, who was speeding away from police in a stolen car. Jeff says he's angry at Degroot and at the justice system.

"I don't know how he was able to get out from the last felony he committed," Jeff Coopman said.

Jeff lost a leg. He suffered multiple broken bones. His wife Cheryl had her arm and leg amputated. She has brain injuries, as well. So far, she's been through 10 surgeries.

"She suffered significant head injury bleeds in her brain that led to some significant injuries and neurological deficits," said Dr. Marc de Moya with Froedtert Hospital.

"She actually has to have her skull opened up to relieve some of the pressure," Dr. de Moya said.

Jeff says his adjustment to a new normal will last a lifetime. "Pending the miracle Cherrie gets better, she's gonna need me more than ever."

If you'd like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.