Buddhist monk from Fort Worth injured in crash undergoes surgery to amputate leg
The Buddhist monk who was seriously injured in an accident near Houston while participating in a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., is recovering after having his leg amputated Wednesday.
“We are grateful to share that Bhante Dam Phommasan’s surgery to remove his leg has been successfully completed this morning,” the Walk for Peace team said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “He is now resting comfortably under medical care and beginning the healing process.”
Nineteen Buddhist monks set off from Fort Worth on Oct. 26 on a 110-day journey to promote national healing, unity and compassion. They were planning to walk at least 20 miles per day, according to Neeraj Bajracharya, general secretary of the Nepalese Buddhist Association.
The night of Nov. 19, the group’s escort car was hit by a pickup truck on U.S. 90 in Liberty County. The car then hit Phommasan and one other monk.
Phommasan sustained serious lower leg injuries and was airlifted to a Houston hospital, officials said. The other monk was taken by ambulance to a hospital and released a short time later with minor injuries.
Dayton Interim Chief of Police Shane Burleigh told the Star-Telegram that the monks had been walking along the grassy area next to the highway and on the shoulder. The driver of a white pickup truck apparently didn’t realize how slowly the group’s escort car was moving and crashed into it. The truck’s driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police, according to Burleigh.
The walk resumed the morning of Nov. 22, Bajracharya said.
“Please continue to keep Bhante in your thoughts as he focuses on recovery,” Walk for Peace team members said in their post. “May he find strength, peace, and swift healing.”
