'She would hear me cry at night': Nelson Thomas recalls seeing 'pain' in his mother's eyes after near-fatal car accident

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Nelson Thomas recently shared his harrowing journey following a near-fatal car accident that led to foot amputation.

On February 11, 'The Challenge' star announced on social media that he had decided to opt for amputation after he underwent multiple surgeries following the collision, according to People.

Nelson Thomas recounts moments he woke up to the sight of collision

In March 2023, Thomas collided with a bridge and he was rescued from his car Austin by Minnesota Vikings player KJ Osborn and three other bystanders.

Recalling the incident that led to months of hospitalization, the MTV star said, "When I woke up and I hit that pillar, I thought I was in hell."

“All I saw was flames and fire around me. It's such a vivid memory in my head, me getting pulled out of that burning car. I go to sleep and sometimes I'll wake up screaming, thinking I'm in that car.”

He then found himself in the hospital which he recalled was the "most painful thing ever."

“I was shivering, I was shaking, I was sweating. My mom had to change my sheets at least 10 times throughout the night because of how much I was sweating," said Thomas.

The 35-year-old remembers seeing pain in his mother's eyes when she attended to him in the hospital.

"She would hear me cry at night, and I know that was making her cry," Thomas shared.

The severity of his injuries after the fiery car crash left him uncertain about his mobility. "When I woke up in the hospital after my car accident, I said, ‘Mom, if I can't walk again, I don't want to be here. If they got to cut my foot off, I don't want to be here,’” he revealed.

“I wouldn't even let people say the word ‘amputation’ around me. I didn't even want to think about that,” he added.

Nelson Thomas was charged with DWI in the car crash

Thomas was then charged with driving while intoxicated in the March 2023 accident.

"When that article dropped in October, I broke again," he recounted, adding “It was the worst time of my life. What sucked the most is that what I had to deal with is that, ‘Nelson, you caused this to yourself."

"He blessed you with this opportunity, and you slammed the door in your own face.’ Do you know how many times I got to look at myself in the mirror and I blame myself for everything?” Thomas shared.