A man is still recovering nearly a year after he was hit by a car on South Padre Island by an accused drunk driver.

Matthew Johnson, a Laguna Vista resident and Army veteran, said he was crossing Padre Boulevard near a smoke shop in May 2025 when the accident happened.

Johnson said his injuries were serious enough that doctors sent him to a polytrauma unit at the Audie Murphy VA hospital in San Antonio.

He spent weeks in the hospital with head injuries and torn ligaments in his left shoulder.

Johnson served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. He said the crash was harder to process than combat.

"It was more traumatic than being in Iraq because it's something that wasn't expected," Johnson said.

Before the crash, Johnson worked as an offshore fisherman and an electrician. He said the injuries made both jobs nearly impossible.

"The accident made it very difficult to stand on a boat or stand on a ladder," Johnson said.

Johnson is now urging people to think before drinking and driving.

"When you decide to go out and have fun and drink, find a way home. Don't put other people in jeopardy because of your convenience," Johnson said.

The accused driver, Linda Zenaida Vazquez, was indicted on a charge of intoxication assault with a vehicle in August 2025. Cameron County court records indicate she is scheduled to accept a guilty plea during a hearing set for August 2026.