Months after losing his leg in a truck accident, an Indiana man is taking the next steps in his recovery

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CBS) – The story of an Indiana man who survived six days in the cold, trapped in his truck under the highway near Portage, captivated the nation.

CBS spoke exclusively with the man and got an inside look at his road to recovery in South Bend.

For Matt Reum, shaking ground pepper into the stew is as spicy as life can get these days, especially after the year he’s had. He was saved after his truck veered off the highway, rolled over a creek and crash-landed under a bridge near Portage, Indiana, just before Christmas last year.

“I woke up the next morning and realized it wasn’t a dream,” he said, recalling the experience.

Reum was held for six days. The truck’s steering wheel had been pushed in and down, trapping his leg. He said he screamed for help and ended up waiting to die.

“After six days of being there, it’s very easy to lose hope that those sirens will ever come for you,” he said.

But they did. First responders told CBS 2 they had never seen anything like it.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle that he’s still alive,” Jordan Bucy, a Portage firefighter/paramedic, said in December 2023.

Doctors treated Reum for cuts, bruises and a broken hand. Unfortunately, they were unable to save his left leg.

“I was handed a £50 portion of lemons and I’m just trying to make the best of it,” Reum said.

Despite losing his leg, he was able to complete a 5K with the help of crutches.

He has been focusing on healing and strengthening his body since the accident about five months ago. On the other side of town, his next milestone was achieved: a custom-made prosthesis.

“I’ll be able to carry groceries inside without having to go to my apartment and get my cart,” he said.

The 27-year-old was captured by CBS 2 cameras taking his very first steps without crutches. Prosthetist Norbert Fliess guided him through it. Rheumatism needs hours of therapy to get him up to speed.

“I’m optimistic about what the future holds, what’s going to happen in the future,” he said.

That includes writing a book, some motivational speaking and perfecting his recipes. He also recently graduated from Ivy Tech College. These are all things that at one point he thought might never happen.