Local boy miraculously has no broken bones after parade accident

By: DAN KIDDER

The next time you pick up a comic book, you might end up reading the story of Andy Villarreal.
The 12-year-old from Valley Center wasn’t bitten by a genetically-enhanced spider. He didn’t come to earth from a distant planet full of supermen. He doesn’t even have an iron suit.
But after what could have been a tragic accident during the Valley Center Western Days parade this weekend, Andy knows why he’s still here today.
“I could tell that so many people were praying for me,” he says.
Andy and his family were part of a group handing out flyers for Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Valley Center Community Church this summer. Some members of the group were riding in the back of a fire truck, while others, including Andy, were on the street.
Andy’s parents, Chad & Jodi, were on the truck and saw what happened next, as did those watching the parade from the section of Valley Center Road just west of Portino’s Restaurant.
While Andy was riding on his RipStik, a two-wheeled board similar to a skateboard, someone called his name. As he turned his head, his front wheel hit a stone in the street and he fell feet-first under the rear tires of the truck. The tires ran over Andy’s legs, from his left knee across at an angle to his right ankle.
But what still astonishes his family, his friends, and even his doctors is that Andy was at home later that night with nothing more than a soft cast and a pair of crutches.
“They took an x-ray, then we waited about an hour and a half, then they took another x-ray and finally they told me that I don’t have any broken bones,” Andy says. “I just thought, ‘That’s crazy, no broken bones?’ It’s amazing.”
The Villarreal family attends Valley Center Community Church, and Jodi says that the immediate response they received from the community was overwhelming.
“As soon as we were in the ambulance, I sent out a text to several people,” she says. “Within an hour, I had gotten back over a hundred responses letting us know that people were praying for Andy and praying for us. It was so amazing and so calming to know that we had so much support. And that’s something we always know we can count on in such a great town.”
Chad was riding on the back of the truck when the accident happened, and he says he was amazed at how quickly those around him jumped into action.
“I heard the back tires go ‘thump’ and at the same time, I heard Jodi scream Andy’s name,” he recalls. “Those two seconds it took me to turn the corner around the truck were the scariest moments I’ve ever had. But when I saw his face and heard him talking, I was so relieved. I went into that protective dad mode and scooped him up to get him out of the street. By the time I set him down, there were already two off-duty paramedics there, and within five minutes there were two ambulances and eight to ten firefighters and other off-duty personnel there. Because everyone reacted so quickly, there wasn’t any time to panic.”
Because of their faith, the Villarreals say they’ve had a peace and comfort that has allowed them to reassure the others involved that everything is OK.
“The driver and the passenger in the front of the truck obviously just felt terrible about it,” says Chad. “But God has blessed us through this to allow us to let them know that it was an accident, and that God had Andy in His hand the entire time.”
“I told the passenger that he probably saved my son’s life,” Jodi adds. “If he hadn’t called Andy’s name, Andy still would have hit that rock, but because of the way he was turned, he probably would have fallen headfirst under the truck. This was an accident, but God showed us that He is still in control even in the middle of an accident.”
The Villarreals are so thankful for the prayers and support of their community, saying that there is only one possible explanation for the continued safety of their son.
“His doctor called him a miracle kid,” Jodi says. “To get run over by a fire truck and not even have a broken bone, that’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“We could have been planning a funeral today instead of rejoicing that God saved our son,” says Chad. “We’re just overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our brothers and sisters in Christ. God hears our prayers, and we’re all together in that. That’s the biggest comfort for us.”
Andy himself even expressed his wish for others to know that comfort, even in the middle of a difficult situation.
“When we were on the way home from the hospital, Andy said something that really made me proud as a father,” Chad says. “He said, ‘If one or two or five people can hear about God and know Him, then it’s all worth it.’ ”
And if Andy ever decides to give crime fighting a try, he has his superhero name already picked out.
“When you go to Children’s Hospital, they give you a code name based on a letter of the alphabet and an animal,” Jodi explains. “So when Andy found out that his code name was “X-Ray Fish” he wants to keep that name forever.”