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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; It&#8217;s been four months since Josh Simon was severely injured when the truck he was riding in was struck by a car at Dorrance Street and Wyoming Avenue in Kingston.</p><p>The 12-year-old fights back every day. His right leg was torn apart in the crash to the point that it nearly needed to be amputated. <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/388550/search-warrant-alleges-cars-racing-in-kingston-crash" target="_blank">He was ejected out the back of the 2003 Avalanche</a>, sustaining traumatic brain injuries, as well.</p><p>Since Sept. 13, Josh has been on a <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/488693/swoyersville-boy-on-a-long-road-to-recovery-from-car-crash" target="_blank">continuing schedule of doctors&#8217; appointments</a>, therapy and tests at several hospitals, from Danville to Bloomsburg to Carbondale to Wilkes-Barre Township.</p><p>I caught up with Josh and his dad, Benjamin, at the John Heinz Institute on Mundy Street. From the moment I met Josh, I could tell he&#8217;s a special kid. And he has the support of his parents and siblings, along with family and friends.</p><p>That support means a lot in Josh&#8217;s recovery. The last four-plus months have not been easy.</p><p>Dealing with the crash itself has been a struggle. Prior to the crash, Josh was a typical, athletic, always-on-the-go kid who loved to compete. He was a wrestler and loved to play football. He planned to try out for the track team.</p><p>Now he&#8217;s faced with recovering from injuries that will probably never allow him to return to the person he was before the crash. He will have to adapt to a different lifestyle &#8212; one with limitations and much less competition.</p><p>&#8220;My goal is to be able to ride my bike again,&#8221; he told me. Then he asked if I wanted to see his injured leg. Reluctantly, I said OK, after Benjamin gave his approval. Josh removed the big boot he wears. The leg was not pretty.</p><p>Josh&#8217;s learning capacity has been slowed. He&#8217;s not functioning as a sixth-grader, he&#8217;s being home-schooled &#8212; teachers come to his house for an hour a day &#8212; and the lessons take a toll on him.</p><p>Benjamin said whenever Josh is over-stimulated on a given day, the following day is difficult. He can have severe mood swings. Even Josh will tell you what the doctors told him and his family &#8212; he&#8217;s lucky to have survived. They credit his athleticism and being in such good physical condition for his survival.</p><p>Sept. 13 had been a typical Sunday for Josh and his family. He had a couple friends over to play football. One of the friends wanted to sleep over, so Josh asked his mom, Misty, for the OK. Misty gave her approval and piled Josh and his two pals into the Avalanche. She was taking one of the friends home and the other to his house to get his overnight stuff.</p><p>Misty was at a familiar corner at Dorrance and Wyoming Avenue. It was about 7:30 p.m. As she pulled her Avalanche onto Wyoming Avenue, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/381602/police-investigate-crash-with-entrapment-in-kingston" target="_blank">a blue Dodge Neon slammed into the side of the truck</a>. Josh doesn&#8217;t remember anything from the crash. Misty still has difficulty driving, especially at night. Benjamin recently had neck surgery and can&#8217;t drive, forcing Misty to drive, even though it&#8217;s a struggle.</p><p>Josh&#8217;s two friends were injured, but not nearly as severely as he was. Misty, Benjamin said, has suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, not to mention dealing with the expected feelings of guilt, fear and worry.</p><p>Josh lost seven units of blood. He was near death. He pulled through. Physically, he&#8217;s making great strides. He gets therapy three days a week at John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and his mom and dad are thrilled with his progress. His mental issues still need to be worked out. Benjamin said Josh can&#8217;t overdue it and Josh understands that. They have limited his time with friends and extended family.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re lucky he&#8217;s alive,&#8221; Benjamin said.</p><p>Kingston Police Chief Michael Krzywicki said the investigation is progressing. He said Pennsylvania State Police recently completed a reconstruction of the crash and investigators will meet with the Luzerne County District Attorney&#8217;s office next week. Chief Krzywicki said the reconstruction will be reviewed and a decision will be made soon on whether charges will be filed.</p><p>Meanwhile, Josh keeps fighting.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll never give up,&#8221; he said. His attitude is a positive one.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m proud of him,&#8221; Benjamin said of his son, who suffered fractured bones from his head to his toes.</p><p>Josh was able to put weight on his right leg just two weeks ago. He uses a walker to get around and has a wheelchair. He likes pizza and wings, donuts and grapes. He and his dad love the San Francisco 49ers.</p><p>The family has <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/424479/benefit-to-raise-money-for-josh-simon-set-for-oct-20-at-adventure-zone" target="_blank">struggled financially</a>. Benjamin can no longer work and has been designated as disabled. Misty, a former pre-school teacher, starts a new job at a nursing home Monday. There is an account set up at Wells Fargo Bank to help the family pay hospital bills.</p><p>Dr. Greg Basting, medical director at John Heinz, said Josh would make an excellent ambassador, helping other injured kids in their recovery. Josh said he&#8217;d like to do that some day.</p><p>Josh said he takes things one day at a time and listens to his doctors and therapists.</p><p>&#8220;One of my doctors told me, &#8216;Don&#8217;t be a knucklehead,&#8217;&#8221; Josh said with a smile. &#8220;He said don&#8217;t try to do too much too fast.&#8221;</p><p>Josh is determined. He has fought hard from the minute the crash occurred, coming back against all odds.</p><p>He has come a long way in four months. He&#8217;s not about to give up now.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill O&#8217;Boyle </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_Columnshot-1-1-7.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011616InFocusJoshSimon-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Josh Simon, 12, of Luzerne and his father, Benjamin, talk about Josh&#8217;s recovery from multiple severe injuries he sustained in a violent vehicle crash in September in Kingston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011616InFocusJoshSimon-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Josh Simon, 12, of Luzerne and his father, Benjamin, talk about Josh&#8217;s recovery from multiple severe injuries he sustained in a violent vehicle crash in September in Kingston. </caption1><photoCredit1>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011616InFocusJoshSimon2-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Josh Simon, 12, of Luzerne talks about his 4-month recovery from multiple severe injuries he sustained in a violent vehicle crash in September. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011616InFocusJoshSimon2-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Josh Simon, 12, of Luzerne talks about his 4-month recovery from multiple severe injuries he sustained in a violent vehicle crash in September. </caption2><photoCredit2>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Josh Simon, 12, was hurt in vehicle crash four months ago</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

In focus: Josh Simon, of Luzerne, fighting back from severe vehicle crash injuries