Revised Human Interest Feature

On Halloween last year, sixteen-year-old Aaron Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.

Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.

It would be a nightmarish time for any parents, especially for Leslie’s, who share custody of their son.

Friends of Leslie, now 17, describe them as being very strong and supportive of the doctors the whole way as Aaron underwent treatment and testing.

As he made strides daily, it was clear that he would recover from this enormous obstacle, but the time frame of that recovery was the unknown.

Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.

At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.

Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he came out of a coma and into the realization that things were different than before the accident.

Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s closest friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.

“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

Looking at pictures before and after the accident, Leslie looks like nothing has changed. The only noticeable difference is that he seems less aware of his surroundings that he used to be.

Leslie attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.

Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.

Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with having to re-learn some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.

Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.

“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend [Josh Hale] who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and Josh went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to [Leslie] and he just acted real confused.”

What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.

“He has the same personality as he did before, he’s just gaining his memory and how to do certain things,” Williams said. “It’s affected his family in the fact he has to be taken care of a little more, but everything else is the same.”

Some days, he may make significant headway and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.

“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”

The support network of his family and friends continuously aids him in his journey back to normalcy.

“Life goes on, except for his friends and family of course,” Williams said. “We’re hanging out with him and hoping he gets better as soon as possible.”