Local Woman Hurt In Crash Takes 1st Joyful Steps Back On Beach

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — A Southampton woman badly injured with her three dogs in a head-on crash in March has taken her first steps back on the beach she loves so much.

After the crash, a GoFundMe page, "Help Leslie Carr Get Back On The Beach," was created by Annie Walters of Southampton for the friend so many call L.C.

Leslie, a bartender at Canal Cafe in Hampton Bays, walked miles of shoreline daily before he crash, Walters said.

"With her pack of dogs at her side, Leslie would scour the shore for beach glass to add to her collection and of course, was always picking up trash left behind by others. That's just the kind of person she — loving, caring, and conscientious. The sea is her escape," Walters said.

Carr told Patch that she had not missed a day of walking on the beach since 2018. The shortest distance she had gone was a half-mile on the day of the polar vortex in January, 2019. She invested funds to find ways to stay dry and warm, she said.

"People used to tell me that they would wake up to the horrible weather outside, and then check to see if I posted a pic on Insta. I always have a dog or three in tow, and pick up all the garbage on the way. I collect beach glass, shells, and driftwood — and make jewelry and art. I truly love the beach," Carr said.

On March 15, Carr said, "My life was changed forever."

She was on her way to the beach, her favorite place when she was hit head-on; the driver was charged with DWI, police said.

"When I awoke, I immediately felt pain and then panic for my dogs. I was pinned in my car; the engine was on my right leg. When they finally extracted me, I honestly thought I would never walk again," Carr said.

"It was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life"

Carr sustained tibia and fibula fractures; her ankle and foot were fractured, as well. During surgery, nine screws and four plates were installed. She also had four broken ribs, and extensive soft tissue damage.

"It was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life. The first few days home after surgery were absolute agony. I literally cried every day for the first two months," Carr said.

Due to her injuries, Carr, once so active, needed a hospital bed, wheelchair, commode, walker, and shower chair delivered to her home. She required 24-hour care, and could not do anything for herself. She was in bed or her recliner for the first three months. Then in June, she underwent a second surgery to remove two screws so that her recovery could begin.

"Thank goodness for my life partner Jim; he was my official nurse," she said. "My dogs were all injured. My littlest dog had a brain injury and still is not herself."

The experience, Carr said, was life-altering.

"Frustrated. That's how I feel lots of the time. Like a baby who wants to walk, but first, you have to crawl," she said.

Ever-motivated, Carr said she found ways to get around her home, using travel mugs to move her coffee from room to room. "I climbed up the stairs on my butt, and made dinner from a wheelchair. If you are determined to get your independence back, you become very inventive," she said.

But still, the siren song of the sea was never silenced in her heart or mind.

"During this time, it hurt to look at pictures of the beach. It seemed so far away, especially when just getting to the car was a half-hour ordeal," she said.

After a few weeks of physical therapy, she began to use a cane.

"This was a huge step in allowing me to feel a little more of myself," she said.

Weeks turned into months, and eventually, Carr felt strong enough to take her first steps at the beach.

"On September 8, 177 days since the accident, my toes touched the sand. I slowly stepped, and the tears just flowed. The pain of each agonizing step was worth the fullness I felt in my soul," she said.

While it seemed like an eternity to reach the water, a distance she used to traverse in a few swift strides, Carr said she didn't mind. "This was it, this was my cherry on top; all my hard work, all the pain, all the tears, all the time sitting, dreaming of this moment. I felt 90 percent myself again. I had just been my injury for the last six months, and now, I was Leslie again."

Despite the progress, Carr said she is still nowhere near 100 percent; she will still need another surgery to remove the plates and many months of physical therapy. She still walks with a limp and can only wear sandals.

"But, I have my leg and I am alive. I often questioned why this happened. I will never get the answer. But I do know this for sure: Life is not about how much you have, or how different we are. It's about what we share in common. That bond that makes us human. That connection you have with a stranger. A shared smile, holding the door, acknowledging your new neighbor, saying 'hi' to your mailman, making soup for a sick friend, letting someone cut you in line, giving someone a compliment, donating to the food pantry. The amount of love you put out into this world comes back tenfold — I am living proof of that."

It was the outpouring of love from her family, friends, and a caring community that got her back to the beach, Carr said. So many organized fundraisers, made T-shirts, offered words of encouragement, made cards, sent flowers, brought food, offered rides, donations and most of all love, she said.

Carr had a message for the many who rallied to lift her during her darkest days: "I could not have done this without all of you. In my darkest times, you gave me light, encouragement, and the strength to keep going. Thank you to everyone. You have and continue to amaze me. I am humbled by humanity and the nature of the human spirit."

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.