Burn Victim: "I Am A Useless Man On A Bed"
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A burn victim is speaking out for the first since his truck was set on fire—with him sleeping inside—in the parking lot of a bar in the Keys nearly two years ago.
Jose Gonzalez, from Homestead, lives his life in constant pain. The husband and father calls himself useless after suffering second and third degree burns to nearly 70-percent of his body.
"It changed everything. I am a useless man on a bed," Gonzalez said in Spanish.
Gonzalez said he hasn't been able to bring himself to watch the video that captured the moment his life changed forever.
Surveillance video shows Stuart Collins, a then 26-year-old from North Carolina, stumble inside the bar. The bartender refused to serve him.
Gonzalez left the bar and fell asleep in his work truck. Minutes later, video shows Collins pull a lighter out of his pockets and sets the truck on fire. He runs off as propane tanks in the back of the truck explode.
Click here to WATCH CBS4 Gaby Fleischman's report
"Why did he do this? We don't know each other. He did this for no reason," Gonzalez said. "It seems like he just became enraged and lit the truck on fire and unfortunately I was inside sleeping and he set me on fire. It changed my life forever."
No one realized Gonzalez was in the burning truck. After six minutes, as fire units worked to put out the flames, Gonzalez walked out of the truck—fire literally dripping from his body.
Gonzalez spent six months in the hospital, in and out of a coma.
"My recuperation has been very difficult," Gonzalez said. "I get very desperate. I have very difficult days."
After seven surgeries and countless skin grafts he's back home with his wife of 21-years and their son.
"This stuff happened because some alcohol-induced frenzy that this dude was on so if anything my only message is be careful, people," said Jose Gonzalez, the victim's son.
The family filed a civil lawsuit against the bar. They believe the bartender shouldn't have just refused to serve Collins, that a security guard should have been staffed to physically get him off the property.
"Make sure you have the right procedures in place to make sure these people are safe," said Attorney Jason Brenner with Haggard Law Firm. "When you have a person that's that intoxicated you have to monitor them, and if you're not going to monitor them, have them removed."
Gonzalez has a message for people—especially at the start of Spring Break.
"Let this be an example for everyone that takes drugs, for anyone who drinks excessively or without responsibility, that they can cause the end of someone's life like they did to me."
Collins told detectives he only had two rum and cokes and three beers over a six hour span.
He plead not guilty to charges.
