Netflix actor Clayton Conroy says he is slowly rebuilding his life after a devastating Los Angeles crash left him with a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures and the need for brain surgery.
Conroy, 32, known for his role in The Gringo Hunters, was driving home after meeting friends at a bar when another vehicle allegedly slammed into him at around 100 mph as he exited Interstate 10 near La Brea Avenue. His mother said he had not been drinking because he was scheduled to work the following day.
Conroy remembers very little about the impact itself.
“The road was looking as normal as it could,” he told the Santa Cruz Sentinel, saying he may have noticed headlights approaching quickly behind him.
His next memory was waking up in the hospital.
Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center diagnosed Conroy with a traumatic brain injury along with fractures to his hip and shoulder. He has also said he suffered severed nerves in his arm and broken bones in his leg.
In a blunt Instagram post documenting the aftermath, Conroy wrote that he had been hit by someone traveling more than 100 mph, underwent brain surgery and “was supposed to die.”
He spent about a month at Cedars-Sinai before continuing physical, occupational and cognitive therapy outside the hospital.
The recovery has been slow.
Conroy initially relied on a rollator to walk, later graduated to a cane and can now walk short distances without assistance. He continues to deal with headaches, brain fog and cognitive fatigue.
“That process, you really don’t have control over it,” he told the Sentinel. “You just have to rest and hope that it gets better and better.”
The man accused of causing the crash was arrested months later.
California Highway Patrol officers arrested Noor El Deen Amr Soror, 19, of Anaheim, in August on suspicion of felony reckless driving causing major injuries. CHP said the April 19 collision happened on the eastbound 10 Freeway near La Brea Avenue.
The charge remains an allegation, and the criminal case is still pending.
CHP Central Los Angeles Capt. Matin Geller said the case illustrated the potentially life-changing consequences of dangerous driving.
“Speeding, unsafe maneuvers, and other reckless behavior behind the wheel put everyone on the roadway at risk,” Geller said.
The timing of the crash made Conroy’s injuries especially painful professionally.
The actor had recently landed a role as Padre Terry in Netflix’s The Gringo Hunters, a series inspired by a real Mexican police unit that tracks American fugitives who cross the border attempting to avoid prosecution.
Conroy had spent more than a decade pursuing acting and appeared to be gaining momentum when the crash abruptly put his career on hold.
Five months after the wreck, however, he is finally feeling well enough to speak publicly about what happened.
In a Sept. 20 Instagram video, Conroy said his condition has been improving every day and encouraged others going through difficult periods not to be afraid to seek help.
Earlier photos from his recovery showed him relearning basic movements with the help of family and friends and eventually playing guitar again.
Conroy said the experience has forced him to reconsider what matters most.
“At the end of the day, you never really know what’s going to happen,” he said.
For now, returning to normal life — and eventually acting — remains the goal.
After months of surgery, rehabilitation and relearning everyday tasks, Conroy says he is trying not to take any of it for granted.