Colorado DUI crash survivor motivates others after overcoming the odds; "Never lose hope"

CBS News

29-07-2025

Nearly 10 years after a Castle Rock teen's life was changed by a car crash, he's sharing his story of endurance and hopes to inspire others.
CBS Colorado visited a local high school and sat down with Jackson Davis to learn more about what the last decade of his recovery has looked like.
In October 2015, Jackson, a recent Douglas County High School graduate, was poised to chase his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine.
"We drove all the way from Colorado to MCRD, which is in San Diego, where I would have graduated boot camp," Jackon said.
On their way home from California, Jackson and his dad, Timothy, passed Pueblo on the evening of Oct. 18 and encountered a road rage driver on Interstate 25.
"I remember I was driving, and my dad was sitting next to me," Jackson said. "My dad is like, 'Look at this lady. She's acting crazy.'"
Suddenly, the car struck them, causing their vehicle to flip and crash into the guardrail.
"We were flipping and rolling. It was bad," Timothy explained. "He's going through a hard time. He's screaming, and I'm trying to calm him down."
"I just remember being in a lot of pain," Jackson said.
First responders used the Jaws of Life to extract Jackson from the car.
"It's a miracle," Jackson's father said. "The Lord really did send his angels."
Jackson was rushed to Penrose ICU, where he stayed for more than a week in a medically induced coma. His family was told he may lose his legs, or never wake up.
"As a parent, it's very hard, and it's difficult," Timothy said. "So that's where you spend a lot of time. I was on my knees, talking to the Lord. Jackson's father had previously had his own experience with traumatic brain injury from a crash.
When Jackson did wake up, he was transferred to Craig Hospital, where he spent months recovering from a traumatic brain injury and a shattered body.
"I broke both of my legs. I shattered my pelvis. This is where the guardrail went through my arm," Jackson said, gesturing to a scar. He has many scars, plus rods and screws in his body to remind him of the crash.
Jackson's dream of becoming a Marine was gone in an instant.
"My whole goal was to go be like my father and going to Marine Corps. That was just taken from me in an instant, in a blink of an eye," Jackson said. "When I was in the hospital, I didn't really believe in God because I kept questioning, 'Why would he do this to me?'"
The driver who hit Jackson pleaded guilty to reckless vehicular assault and DUI. She was sentenced to one year in jail, but Jackson says she only served six months.
While Jackson and his father won personal injury judgments against the driver for nearly $9 million and $3 million each, they say she had no insurance, so they've seen very little of that money.
"One thing I've learned throughout life is God chooses his strongest warriors to fight his hardest battles," Jackson said.
"You're not forgiving for her; you're forgiving for yourself because you need yourself to get over that hard time in your life," Jackson said. "So that's how I was able to get over it."
So through his faith, Jackson found the strength to forgive and to persevere. The teen who was told he might never walk has now competed in multiple Ironman triathlons and Spartan races.
"Never listen to everyone that tells you no," Jackson said. "There were hundreds of people that told me no. I proved them wrong. I did an Ironman. I live a happy life. I'm married."
Jackson now shares his experience online on a social media account called "Built to Endure 40."
"The 40 stands for in the Bible, 40 days, 40 nights or 40 years," Jackson said. "You're built to endure anything throughout your life. You know, whether it's a traumatic brain injury like me, depression or anxiety, stuff like that."
"I'm just proud, very, very proud of him and what he's doing and how he's helping others," Timothy said. "His faith is leading you through it, and that's, that's the great thing, and how this works. When something like this happens, you get to make a choice."
Jackson primarily makes motivational videos, but he envisions "Built to Endure 40" eventually having an in-person location where people who are struggling can visit to find hope and community.
"I'm willing to go in those deep, dark times in my life to help people, to inspire them to never lose hope," Jackson said. "I make videos to motivate people, to really let them know that they're never alone, and just when they're in that deep, dark time in their life. I want them to know that me and my community are there to help them in any struggle they have throughout their life."