Signs of Improvement for Hogan Crash Victim

Thu., Dec. 20, 2007 11:55 AM PST by Gina Serpe

The holidays just got a little happier for the Graziano family.

Four months after John Graziano was critically injured in a car crash while riding shotgun with Hulk Hogan's son, Nick, the 22-year-old Marine has finally begun to show signs, albeit small ones, of improvement.

While Graziano remains hospitalized from the Aug. 26 crash in Clearwater, Florida, his mother Debra told local newscast Tampa Bay's 10 News that her son is now semiconscious and has even opened his eyes.

The hopeful developments come in the wake of court documents filed by a nurse in September and made public in October that the most the Graziano family could hope for is that John, who was then comatose, would be able to open and shut his eyes periodically. The nurse said the young man would require lifelong care.

According to Debra Graziano, her son is still unable to breathe without a machine and remains unable to speak, but seems to be making strides toward some form of communication. She said John recently leaned away from her when she tried to touch his face.

The younger Graziano has recently been receiving care at the James A. Haley V.A. Medical Center, where he was moved after several months in St. Petersburg's Bayfront Medical Center.

While at the Bayfront Medical Center, Graziano was on life support and may have suffered a seizure. In October, Debra petitioned a Florida court to permit her to assume legal guardianship of her son.

Graziano was injured when a yellow Toyota Supra driven by 17-year-old Nick Hogan, whose real name is Nick Bollea, careened off the road and struck a 25-foot tall palm tree in downtown Clearwater at a speed of roughly 106 mph, per police. Graziano was in the passenger seat at the time of the crash and was not, police said, wearing a seatbelt.

Hogan was arrested Nov. 7 and charged with third-degree felony reckless driving involving serious bodily harm, as well as use of a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, being under the age of 21, operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of 0.02 percent or higher and illegal window tint.

Florida state officials have also suspended the teen's drier's license for a period of one year after deeming him a dangerous driver. He had until Dec. 10 to pay a fine, the amount of which was not made public, or risk losing his license permanently.