Ryan Lochte Reveals Details of Major Car Accident in November 2023: ‘So Thankful’
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte has revealed that he suffered major injuries in a car accident last November while driving to pick up his children from school. Lochte, 39, told host Kyle Millis of the Athlete’s Only Podcast about his accident earlier this year but requested to not share the news until his recovery was complete.
Lochte explained that he ran into a garbage truck parked in the street. After the car in front of his swerved to miss the truck, Lochte did not have time to make the same maneuver, and he ran into the corner of the truck, causing major injuries. Lochte learned that most similar crashes result in fatalities, so he considers himself lucky.
“My friends that were driving after picking up their kids, driving home, they tried to come get me,” Lochte said. “[The investigators] were like, ‘He’s dead. He’s not breathing. He’d dead.’ Blood gushing from my head. Still have a couple stiches in there. Broke my femur. Completely broke my femur in half. Totaled my car.”
In the following months, Lochte spent extensive time in physical therapy so that he would be able to walk again. He explained in the podcast interview that he does not usually consider himself an overly-religious person, but given the outcome of the crash, he said, “God was watching me, and he was like, ‘It’s not your time.’” Lochte added that this was the most scared he has ever felt.
“I still get scared when I get in the car to go to physical therapy. I still have visions of the wreck. I still have visions of white lights flashing in my eyes,” Lochte said. He paused, unable to contain his emotions. “Not knowing that I’d wake up and see my family again. When I wake up, I’m so thankful. In a blink of an eye, your life can be over. I’m so thankful that no one got injured except me.”
Lochte has not competed in three years since finishing seventh in the 200 individual medley at his last Olympic Trials, but he noted that the crash brought swimming back into his life at the suggestion of Gregg Troy, his longtime coach at the University of Florida. Troy noted that swimming would help with physical therapy, so Lochte began swimming again “once or twice a week.” Troy suggested that Lochte might eventually break a masters world record, but Lochte insisted that might not be anytime soon.
During his extensive international career that spanned four Olympics, Lochte reached the podium 12 times, with individual gold medals in the 200 backstroke in 2008 and 400 IM in 2012. Lochte also won four consecutive world titles in the 200 IM (in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015), and he remains the world-record holder in the race at 1:54.00.
It had to be a bad crash to completely break the femur in half. Wow lucky you are still here.👍🏽👍🏽
Glad to know you not only survived but you’re recovering and making the best out of a dire situation. Best wishes for your recovery and you future, Ryan.