SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash., – A man was driving a semi-truck through a Spokane Valley intersection when he was shot in the face by a paintball. He was able to pull over safely before being taken to the hospital
Michael Cottone suffered a laceration on his eye as well as abrasions on the eyeball. He has no vision in his left eye and will may never fully recover vision in the affected eye, his doctors said.
Cottone is unable to drive with this injury, and he cannot work as a truck driver for weeks. His family is concerned about mortgage payments and providing for daily needs.
“He holds onto a lot of taking care of our family and being the sole provider… and his income provides the bulk of our necessities,” Devan Cottone, his wife, said.
Cottone said he has extremely blurred vision in his left eye, and it has affected everything he does.
“My depth perception, holding my kids. Being able to pay my bills, stay the provider for the family. It’s very worrisome,” Cottone said.
They have set up a fundraiser to help offset some of their unexpected costs and are thankful that this situation did not turn out any worse.
“[it] could have been seriously fatal and could have caused serious severe damage to other people’s families and impacted other people. So, paintball airsoft, whatever it may be, they have specific locations for games like that for a reason,” Cottone said.
Both Cottone and his wife said they hope the people responsible come forward. They are asking anyone with video cameras near the area to check them, and they reached out to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office who told them they are looking into the incident.
