The Associated Press

ROCKBRIDGE, Ohio - A state trooper hit by a car while at the scene of an accident said he has no memory of the blow that broke his legs and injured his back, head and shoulder.

"I don't remember the impact, sound or pain," said Leonard Gray, 51, who was hit Dec. 11 on a Hocking County road in southeast Ohio. "I think that's God's way of keeping me from having nightmares about it."

Mr. Gray said he vaguely remembers seeing the car rounding the bend on U.S. 93 as it approached the jackknifed tractor-trailer where he was directing traffic.

The accident occurred the day after he submitted retirement papers after 24 years at the Athens post.

The driver, Ronald Hamrick, 61, of Logan, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs after tests showed he had marijuana and cocaine in his body. A Hocking County grand jury will decide next month whether he should be charged with aggravated vehicular assault.

Trooper Gray has been recovering more quickly than expected.

His doctors at Grant Medical Center in Columbus predicted he would need a two-month stay. Instead, he was released from rehabilitation less than three weeks after the accident.

With the help of a therapist, he has slowly begun to walk.

"Amazingly, I've been almost pain-free, other than just some aches here and there," said Trooper Gray, who credits a bright attitude with helping his recovery.