Dartmouth HC Buddy Teevens loses leg after being hit by truck

Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens suffered a life-altering event on March 20 when he was hit by a pickup truck while on a bicycle ride.

He'd probably tell you that it could be worse because he did survive the accident — and that's a testament to his fighting spirit. With that said, he did suffer spinal cord injuries and on Tuesday night, his wife announced that the head coach, unfortunately, had to have his right leg amputated

"We would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of love and support for Buddy." Teevens' wife, Kirsten, said in a statement, per ESPN. "It has been nothing short of amazing and we are so grateful. As Buddy navigates through the healing of his injuries, he is experiencing many positive improvements. Unfortunately, as a result of the accident, Buddy's right leg was amputated due to the severity of the injury."

It was 8:40 p.m. on March 20 when Teevens and his wife were biking home from a restaurant in St. Augustine, Florida. The coach, 66 years old, was struck by a pickup truck going 50 MPH. 

He was not wearing a helmet and according to the Florida Highway Patrol crash report (obtained by ESPN), the bike did not have illuminated lights on it, and the crash happened outside of a crosswalk or designated crossing area.

"Spinal cord injuries are challenging, and if anybody is up for the challenge, it is Buddy. We appreciate your continued respect of our privacy as we navigate this ongoing recovery process as a family," his wife said.

Teevens has been the head coach at Dartmouth for 23 seasons over the span of two stints. He's led the Big Green to multiple Ivy League championships. 

Associate head coach Sammy McCorkle will act as Teevens' replacement while he recovers, but it will be interesting to see if this amputation and other complications of having a spinal cord injury changes his plans of returning to the sideline in the future.