CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Our dear friend and colleague Larry Sprinkle continues to recover in the hospital from injuries he suffered in a car accident last week.
Larry was involved in a car accident on I-485 May 4. Larry invited our president and general manager Deborah Collura to the hospital to visit him. He wants his colleagues and viewers to know that he's going to be okay.
In his own words, Larry describes the accident that nearly took his life:
"So it happened Wednesday afternoon – I was traveling to Charlotte after seeing family in South Carolina.
Like many days in Charlotte, traffic was a nightmare. I was traveling on 485 when the 'mystery moment' happened. Traffic abruptly stopped and I didn’t. I don’t remember what happened.
The next thing I knew I was surrounded by a lot of people – emergency technicians and firefighters.
I was trapped with the front dash of my car on top of me. I was immobile and I was having a hard time breathing. The dashboard of my car was crushing my chest.
At some point I heard one of the rescue workers say, 'Look, that’s Larry Sprinkle the weather guy'.
I told the firefighters they needed to use the Jaws of Life to get me out and they responded, 'You are right about that.'
I knew it was a serious situation and I couldn’t breathe. I asked one of the firefighters to please stay with me as they pulled me out.
“Don’t leave me,” I said.
And the firefighter responded, “Don’t worry, I won’t. I will put a blanket in front of you so you don’t have to watch.”
I put all of my faith and trust in them as they rescued me.
That firefighter stayed with me every step of the way. He rode in the ambulance with me and held my hand."
Larry suffered several broken bones including two broken legs in multiple places, a broken ankle, broken arm, and cracked ribs. He underwent surgery where they put rods and pins in both legs.
Larry will remain in the hospital as he continues to recover. He and his family request privacy at this time.
The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. NBC Charlotte spoke with the driver's family. They say he is recovering well. The family is a fan of Larry and they wish him well.
We will continue to update Larry’s road to recovery.
“I appreciate all the outpouring of support and warm wishes from everyone,” Larry told our general manager.
NBC Charlotte has been inundated with calls and emails wishing Larry a speedy recovery. It doesn't matter who you talk to, everyone seems to have a different Larry story.
"I love Larry. I've been watching him since I was 15-years-old," one viewer said.
A get well soon card was filled with hundreds of signatures at the Wells Fargo golf tournament last weekend at Quail Hollow Club.
"He's been a fixture in Charlotte for so many years and we depend on his forecasts," another viewer said. "He's a part of Charlotte. We're worried. We love him and we're thinking about him."
Viewers will have another chance to sign the card this Saturday and Sunday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during the Wheelmobile event from 1 to 5 p.m.
If you'd like to leave a message for Larry, click here to visit our Facebook page or you can mail a card to the WCNC studio:
NBC Charlotte
c/o Larry Sprinkle
1001 Wood Ridge Center Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217