New Mexico teen paralyzed after bullfighting accident

MAXWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – His dream was to be in the rodeo. But a 17-year-old New Mexican is now in the hospital, paralyzed, after a devastating accident doing what he loved.  Jeremiah Gouin lives for the rodeo. He was even training to be a rodeo clown. “He’s one of the guys that saves the rider when they come off the bull,” said Shane Sena, Gouin’s Cousin. But Memorial Day weekend, the 17-year-old from Las Vegas was at a rodeo clown training in Maxwell when something horrible and unexpected happened. “Everybody knows that it’s a pretty bad accident,” said Sena. Sena said his cousin was trying to distract a bull away from a rider who had fallen, when the animal charged him. “From there, they brought him to UNM and they gave us a report that he broke seven of his eight vertebrates on his neck,” said Sena. Sena said his cousin is still in the hospital and was told he would never walk again. “It’s hard I mean, it’s shocking to see a kid that young, just lying there helpless,” said Sena. His family said the teen still has a long road ahead, but they all remain hopeful that he’ll walk again some day. They’ve started an online fundraiser for his recovery...more