Nine days after being rescued from a burning car on the side of the road, The Challenge star, Nelson Thomas, 34, took to Instagram to share photos and videos from the scene and of his recovery on Mar. 14. The first slide pictured him in a hospital bed with his seemingly broken leg propped up on some pillows. The second slide was the actual video of him in the burning vehicle on Mar. 5. “I was involved in a car accident. I want to thank kJ: @kj_osborn_ @nfl @vikings for being on the scene and filming my rescue. I am forever grateful to Abdulmejied Hairedin: @_abdu6435, Rita: @Afri_qveen, and Arthur: @Arthur_1er. For pulling me out of a burning vehicle, risking their own lives to save mine,” his lengthy caption began.
Later, Nelson expressed his gratitude for surviving the shocking car accident and praised “God” for taking care of him. “Words can’t explain how grateful I am to be alive. God is truly great and he has you in his hands no matter who you are,” the 34-year-old continued. Finally, he assured his 247K followers that he is on the road to recovery. “I’m in high spirits and getting stronger. This will be a long road to recovery but to my fans, friends and family please keep me in your prayers. 3/5/2023,” he concluded.
Soon after he shared the somber news, many of his friends and followers took to the comments section to send their get well wishes and support for the TV star. K.J. Osborn of the Minnesota Vikings was on the first to comment with, “Locked In. Can’t wait to see you back up and doing what you love!” His fellow MTV family, Amanda Garcia, also made sure to send her support for Nelson. “We love you nelson!! god said not today!! Stay positive,” she wrote, while his The Challenge co-star Kyle Christie added, “Sending love Nelson, me and the whole family praying for you. Love you brother glad your still with us.”
Many other MTV alums and stars continued to share their love for the wounded actor, including Devin Walker who penned, “Bro wtf?!? Sending you all the vibes brother. Unbelievable. So f****** happy you are alive.” And, of course, the official Instagram account for the hit MTV show made sure to assure Nelson that they have their full support. “Get well soon, Legend. Whole Challenge fam is behind you,” they commented, along with a red heart emoji.
Nelson rose to fame when he first appeared on the reality TV competition in 2016, per PEOPLE. He has since appeared on several reality TV shows including Ex on the Beach, The Challenge: World Championship, and The Challenge: Untold History. He is also the proud owner of Level Up Clothing, an online clothing store with over 1,239 followers on Instagram.