A Buddhist monk who was hit by a truck near Houston during a 2,300-mile Walk For Peace from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., had his leg amputated due to injuries, according to a Walk For Peace social media post.
Bhante Dam Phommasan underwent surgery to remove his leg at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and is now recovering, the post said.
“We ask our community, supporters, and friends around the world to pause for a moment of pray, loving-kindness, and positive thoughts for Bhante’s smooth operation, steady healing, and a peaceful, strong recovery,” the post said.
The monks left Fort Worth on Oct. 26 to start their walk, which is meant to promote peace, kindness and compassion, according to the group’s social media.
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The group was in the Houston area when officers began receiving calls regarding a crash around 6:13 p.m. on Nov. 19, Shane Burleigh, interim police chief of Dayton, previously told The Dallas Morning News.
The group was walking in Liberty County on Highway 90 in Dayton, near Highway 99, with their escort vehicle following them at about 3 miles an hour, Burleigh said.
A pickup approached the monks from behind, not realizing how slow their escort vehicle was moving, and attempted to maneuver around, according to Burleigh.
Instead, the truck struck the left side of the escort vehicle, pushing it into two of the monks.
Phommasan was flown to a trauma center in Houston, where he underwent an initial surgery. The other monk was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
The driver of the pickup stayed at the scene and cooperated with officers, Burleigh said. The driver of the escort vehicle was evaluated at the scene.
The group plans to walk through 10 states over the course of 110 days, visiting historical landmarks and state capitols.
As of Thursday, the monks were passing through east Louisiana, according to the group’s social media.
The monks are covering the progress of their journey on Facebook. A live map of their travels can be found here.