BoxingScene.com: How did the accident exactly happen?
Peterson: Paul was in Atlanta for a wedding that was going to take place [on Sunday] at 5 o'clock. His brother was getting married [on Sunday] at 5 o'clock. He got two brothers and sister that live there in Atlanta. Paul lives about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, in a place called Grovetown, Georgia. So Paul got his bike and he went down to Atlanta. There was a bachelor party that took place before the wedding. That was the night before. So when he left the bachelor party, around 7 o'clock Sunday morning, he was on his way to one of his brother's houses, on his motorcycle.
He was going to into this curb with this car that had the inside lane, Paul had the outside lane. Apparently the guy who was in the car was on his cell phone or something, but he drifted off into Paul's lane. Paul actually moved over to keep himself from hitting this car that was coming into his lane. Paul looked up and had this oncoming car coming down the road already. Paul said that if he didn't go completely across the roadway, he would have hit that oncoming car head on. He went completely across the roadway to keep from hitting this car head on, went down the embankment and when he came up he was about 60 feet in the air. The motorcycle went one way and he went the other. He must have flew airborne in the air about 100 feet. And when he came down, he came down on his back. And when he came down on his back, it severed his spinal cord.
BoxingScene.com: The extent of the injuries were then determined.
Peterson: When that happened, of course, after having MRIs and X-rays, it was determined that he wouldn't be able to have any body movements from the waist down because he had detached 90% of his spinal cord. So that other 10% left is what controls his upper body movement, his arms and his neck. So now what happens is, they are going to have surgery when the swelling goes down on his back to protect and stabilize that part of what's left of his spinal cord.
BoxingScene.com: Are the doctors saying there is absolutely no chance that Paul will walk again?
Peterson: No chance. No chance.
BoxingScene.com: How is Paul's mind state as far as coming to the realization that will never able to walk again and his boxing career will be over?
Peterson: Paul told me after I left the hospital room today....he said 'Pete, that means I'm going to have to do standup comedy again.' He said 'Pete, don't believe none of that stuff, I'll be back.' I was there for about eight hours yesterday and today.
BoxingScene.com: What happened with the other driver?
Peterson: There was no contact with the car. The other driver actually called 911 an waited for the ambulance to come and the police.
BoxingScene.com: Was Paul conscious or did he wake up in the hospital?
Peterson: Paul was conscious the whole time.
BoxingScene.com: I assume Paul was wearing a helmet, because an accident like that would have killed someone.
Peterson: Absolutely, you should see that helmet. He had a custom made helmet built especially for him, with a mask that covers the whole chin, neck and everything. If he would have had a regular helmet, he would have never made it. You should have seen that helmet. [The accident] shattered that mask and cracked the helmet. It took some damage.
