Man texting while driving goes off bridge and lives

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN/KHOU) - A college student in Texas says he's lucky to be alive after a terrible crash. He was texting behind the wheel and went over a bridge and into a ravine.

Six months ago, Chance Bothe was a 21-year-old college student headed home and texting. One of the last things he typed was this: "I need to quit texting because I could die in a car accident..."

Seconds later, Chance Bothe plunged off a bridge and into a ravine.

His dad found him with a broken neck, a crushed face, a fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries.

"We lost him three times. They brought him back. He coded three times," said Bobby Bothe.

And now six months later, about 80 percent of Chance Bothe is back.

"I'm very lucky that I'm not gone forever. That I still have things to do on this world," he said.

Over the past six months, Chance has learned to walk and talk again. He has a message for others who text behind the wheel.

"They just need to understand don't do it. Don't do it. It's not worth losing your life. I went to my grandmother's funeral not long ago. And I kept thinking, it kept jumping into my head, I'm surprised that's not me up in that casket. I came very close to that to being gone forever," said Chance.

"If I had a kid 16 years old starting to drive, they could have a phone but the texting feature wouldn't be on it. That's how strongly I believe it. It about took him," said Bobby.