‘Keep going, stay positive.’ St. Charles father details recovery, new normal as an amputee as search for hit-and-run suspect continues

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - “Slowly but steady, things are getting better I would say.” That mindset has shaped Bryce Summary’s life for the last 10 months, despite all the new obstacles he now faces each day.

“I’ve got to use my arms, lift up, scoot over, get into the wheelchair,” said Summary. “Honestly, really every aspect of my life has changed.”

News 4 first spoke with the St. Charles County father of two and his wife, Amy, last May. They were staying in a hospital room in Chicago following a tragic hit-and-run crash on May 12 on the city’s magnificent mile. Both of his legs had to be amputated.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who was kind enough to give and outpouring, not just money but also well wishes, we received tons of those when Bryce was in the hospital,” said Amy. “Strangers were sending him cards of inspiration and support.”

Since then, it’s been trips to rehab and overcoming ghost pains.

“Sitting here now, I feel like I have feet, like I feel like I can move my toes,” said Bryce. “When I lay in bed at night, it’s the strangest feeling. All of a sudden I feel like the bottom of my foot is burning or somebody just stomped on my big toe.”

At the same time, he is also managing the complications that come with his injuries.

“The injury to my left leg was much more severe. It required a skin graft, so the skin on my left leg is much more sensitive to a prosthetic,” said Bryce. “Each blister [I get takes] about seven weeks to heal.”

“We’ve trusted the process. This is a marathon, not a race,” said Amy.

“My kids, it’s amazing, they treat me like nothing has really changed,” said Bryce.

A new car and devices installed throughout his home now help Bryce travel easier in and out of his home. Yet, the biggest change has been in the steps he has taken to change his outlook on life.

“My new normal will be when I’m using my legs every day and wearing them all day and that’s when I’ll know what I’m truly capable of,” said Bryce.

Chicago police tell News 4 no one has been arrested in connection with the hit and run and detectives continue to investigate the incident.

“I don’t want someone else to get injured. I don’t want this to happen to someone else. That is my concern in terms of catching the person that did this.”

The eerily similar hit and run that happened in downtown St. Louis, which took Tennessee volleyball player Janae Edmondson’s legs, hits close to home for Bryce.

“When this first happened, I would watch tv and be like, ‘There’s no one on tv like me. Where are all the amputees’,” he said. “I just felt kind of, I felt alone.”

He hopes his story can help others struggling through the same journey feel less alone.

“Keep going, stay positive. There’s going to be bad days, there always is,” said Bryce. “Do not let what you cannot do stop you from what you can do.”

Bryce hopes to be walking on his prosthetics full-time by the end of the year.

If anyone has any information regarding this hit and run incident from May 12, 2022, Chicago police urge you to contact the Major Accident Investigation Unit at (312) 745-4521 or submit a tip anonymously online at CPDTIP.com

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