After Accident, Vet Finally Gets Honorary Meal In Manchester

MANCHESTER/ELLINGTON, CT — Former Marine Jared Buchanan was finally able to get his honorary free Veteran's Day Dinner at the Texas Roadhouse, but he didn't exactly take the route he planned. After a scary accident, an intense revovery and the generosity of a commuity business, it happened Monday.

The 30-year-old Ellington resident is as tough as they get. In the Corps, he served in Washington for two years as a presidential ceremonial guard and then worked with Australian forces on a Navy ship. He's an endurance runner. He also runs for Believe 208, an organization that includes an event staged in memory of his late dad, former East Hartford police officer Paul Buchanan, that raises funds for first-responder wellness programs.

So jog back to Veterans Day, 2019 ...

Buchanan, who routinely puts in 50-t0-75 miles of roadwork each week but has been known to hit 200 when events are coming up, was getting in a few before heading to Texas Roadhouse in Manchester to take advantage of the free meals for vets offered by the restaurant chain.

"I was running and thinking I wanted to get to Texas Roadhouse — on Veterans Day," Buchanan said on Wednesday while driving to a doctor's office to get an update on a broken upper arm. He added he recalls being hit by a sport utility vehicle and remembers contacting his brother before dialing 911.

The accident happened at about 5 p.m.

"I was also thinking I had the worst luck ... then I was in-and-out of consciousness," he said. "I thought I might be dead, but then woke up and said, 'Hold up ... I'm still here.' I was hungry."

The steak dinner had to be put on hold, but a broken arm was his only injury after being hit by the vehicle. Still, it was 'scary' for the family, especially Jared's mom, Trish, who had been called from work once before when Paul died while on duty nearly six years ago.

Trish Buchanan, the top administrative assistant for the Vernon public school system, remembers being called out of a middle school event and told she had to go to the hospital because a family member was hit by a car. She said she instantly became a wreck.

(Courtesy of Trish Buchanan)

"It was crazy when I went to the hospital. Jared was trying to make everyone else feel better and I'm thinking it was a miracle," she said. "He gets hit by a Chevy Tahoe, flips up, lands on the grass, the mirror breaks off the SUV and has no internal injuries."

She then paused, sighed a bit and even chuckled slightly.

"He kept talking about wanting that dinner," Trish Buchanan said.

Oh he had the dinner.

Local TV personality Heidi Voight heard about the accident and resulting saga and then brokered a deal for the meal. Texas Roadhouse said in a Facebook post it was all too happy to invite the Buchanans. Not only did it host the family, but donated $1,000 in gift cards to Believe 208.

(Courtesy of Trish Buchanan)

Jared Buchanan said he'll give half of it to the cause and the other half to a Marine detachment.

"It's phenomenal what Texas Roadhouse did," he said. "It goes above and beyond for veterans."

Jared Buchanan was slated to find out Wednesday whether he needs a third cast on his arm, surgery or just physcial therapy. Either way, his goal is to participate is a "comeback run" of 100 miles at altitude in Colorado in the summer, followed by a 200-mile run in Moab, UT in the fall.

Right now, he says he's working out on a treadmill at a 15-degree pitch setting.

"The hardest thing about this is I can't exercise like I usually do," he said. "I've had my steak dinner for Veterans Day, now I just want to run a 100 miler."

Oh, one more thing ...

Part of Monday's meal included a decorated cake. Yes, it was Jared's birthday.