Thomas County Central senior Malcolm Walton is flanked by his grandfather, Cleveland Copeland. and his mom, Clothilda Jackson.

THOMASVILLE — The clock nearly ran out on Malcolm Walton.

Thanks to a timeout, however, the Thomas County Central football and basketball player has a second chance at life.

An automobile accident nearly ended the senior’s life on Jan. 11. A little more than a week later, Walton is out of the hospital and recovering at home.

Walton suffered multiple injuries, including a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen and cracked ribs. He is scheduled to go back for a doctor’s visit on Jan. 29 and is slated to visit a brain doctor on Feb. 4. Among the multiple injuries Walton suffered was a bump on the back of his head.

“I feel like I’ve got a good second chance and everybody really cares about me, and there really is a God,” Walton said.

By all accounts, Walton’s survival is a miracle.

“If anyone could see the truck, they’d know,” said Walton’s grandfather, Cleveland Copeland, referring to his grandson’s vehicle.

The truck was nearly split in half after hitting a tree that rainy Sunday morning. The driver’s side was smashed in and rescue workers were forced to cut through the top of the vehicle to extricate Walton.

“I’ve seen pictures of it,” Walton’s mother, Clothilda Jackson, recalled. “But to just actually look at it, I really don’t want to look at it. I’m just glad my son’s here.”

Walton’s aunt, Veronica Copeland, recalled the uncertainty she experienced that Sunday. Walton was supposed to report to work at Harveys at 7 a.m. Copeland was first notified by Harveys at 7:45 a.m. that Walton was not at work. Copeland tried to call Walton’s cell phone but didn’t get a response.

“I was wondering what happened and knew he was supposed to be at work,” Copeland added.

After Copeland called Harveys to see if Walton had finally arrived, a state trooper called Copeland just after 8 a.m. and told her Walton was in the emergency room. Copeland notified her sister, Walton’s mother, that her son was in an automobile wreck.

“I was scared, nervous, thought I had already lost him and everything because of how the truck was,” Jackson recalled. “I was just crying, nervous, shaking, rocking back and forth.”

At the ER, though, the doctor’s reassurance of Walton’s health calmed Jackson’s fears.

“They told me he was going to be all right and the doctor said everything was going to be fine. He was going to treat him like he was his own child,” remembered Jackson, who at one time wondered if her son would pull through. “I just kept believing in God and everybody telling me to have faith and keep praying. I just want my baby. That’s all I wanted. I’m glad he’s here.”

Also comforting was the support and love shown to Walton by the number of people in attendance.

“When we got to the hospital — it was like you make that one phone call — it’s like the whole hospital was filled up for Malcolm. I looked around and I said, ‘My baby’s got a lot of love,’” Jackson said. “From downstairs to upstairs, school teachers, coaches, all of them. He’s got a lot of love.

“Even people in the hospital I didn’t know were concerned about Malcolm. Every day, somebody would ask me about Malcolm. Some people I didn’t even know would tell me Malcolm was just like their son. They say he is really loved. I’d say, yes, my baby’s got a whole lot of love.”

Walton was released from the hospital on Tuesday. He still walks gingerly because he feels pain in his ribs and thigh. A concern Walton’s family now has is that he not rush his recovery time.

“I have to make him slow down and don’t try to move so fast,” Walton’s mother noted. “He’s just got to take his time and get his legs back to getting strength in them.

“He’s really not supposed to be here. If you really look at that truck, he isn’t supposed to be here,” Jackson added. “I thank God every day that my baby’s here.”