Missouri Man Left With Half a Face After Devastating Bulldozer Accident
A devoted father miraculously survived a horrific workplace accident that left him with a broken neck, severe facial injuries, and PTSD.
Jesse Payne (31) was operating a skid steer loader on April 11, helping construct a new wing of a dog kennel, when a tragic mishap caused the machine’s bucket arm to crush his head.
While stepping down from his vehicle to clear a 50ft log, Jesse slipped, unintentionally pressing the foot control that operates the bucket arms.
The rapidly rising bucket pinned his head against the machine’s cab, breaking his neck in two places, his jaw in three, severing half his ear and tearing the skin around his left eye.
Despite grave injuries, Jesse managed to call 911.
When officers arrived 15 minutes later, they urgently requested paramedics to hurry, reporting that Jesse appeared to be “missing half his face.”
He was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, where doctors performed major reconstructive surgeries, requiring over 360 stitches in his ear and face and 15 staples in the back of his head.
Jesse recalls experiencing a near-death moment, claiming he saw a bright light and heard faint voices, urging him not to give up.
“I remember seeing God’s light and hearing wisdom being spoken into me.
“I couldn’t make out the words, but I knew it was a higher power telling me not to give up. After about 15 seconds, the light forcefully pushed me away—as if it wasn’t my time. I was given a second chance at life,” he said.
Since the accident, he has been battling PTSD and anxiety, but he remains determined to recover.
“I was choosing to live. I refused to give up for my son, my daughter, my sister, and my family,” Jesse said.
He is now slowly regaining mobility, but faces overwhelming medical costs.
His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund his treatment.
