Jim Wright and wife share 2017 crash story in border security video
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Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright says his wife Sherri has always been more than just his partner.
“Not only is she my wife, she’s also my best friend,” Wright says in a newly released video from The American Border Story. “We have never been apart. We do better together than we do apart.”
For the first time, the couple shares publicly the story of the 2017 accident that left Sherri permanently paralyzed and explains how a normal morning changed nearly every part of their lives.
Sherri Wright recalled meeting Jim for the first time while he was working in San Antonio; here his desk was located right in front of the men’s restroom.
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Sherri Wright, wife of Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, was in a car accident in 2017 that left her paralyzed. (YouTube/American Frontier Story)
“Everyone would talk to me all the time except Jim,” she said in the video.
Jim Wright said he noticed it right away.
“I remember meeting her there and thinking to myself that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen,” he said.
After weeks of small talk, the two became close friends and eventually got married in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo.
“It all started with a friend who became my best friend and then my wife,” Jim Wright said. “It was great.”
Then came January 9, 2017.
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Jim and Sherri Wright (pictured) first met while working in San Antonio. (Youtube/American Frontier Story)
“It was a normal day,” Sherri Wright said.
He had dropped off the couple’s youngest son at school and was heading home when the crash occurred about a mile from their home.
Sherri Wright recalled the moment of impact and being trapped in the debris.
“I remember feeling out of breath,” he said. “I remember looking up and the glass going into my eyes.”
“My son was doing his best to bend the metal to get me out of there,” he added.
Jim Wright said he rushed to the scene before later learning his wife was paralyzed.
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Sherri Wright (left) was paralyzed after a car accident in 2017. (Youtube/American Frontier Story)
“So I told him I didn’t want to live,” Sherri Wright said.
“I worked all my life. I took care of my children,” he said. “It changed everything. It basically took over half my life.”
The couple said the accident forced them to adjust to home care, while Sherri Wright struggled with the loss of independence that came with her injuries.
Sherri Wright also described the emotional toll of feeling invisible in public.
“You know, I go somewhere and instead of talking to me, they talk to whoever is with me,” he said. “Just because my hands and legs don’t work doesn’t mean I’m not a human being. You deserve the same respect that everyone else gets.”
After describing the impact of the crash on their families, both Jim and Sherri Wright related their experiences to concerns about illegal immigration and border security.
“Families impacted by illegal immigrants crossing this border should never have had to endure this,” Sherri Wright said. “We don’t want you here. Come here legally.”
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Both Jim (pictured) and Sherri Wright shared their stories with American Border Story. (YouTube/American Frontier Story)
Jim Wright said he believes the broader problem goes beyond a single accident.
“That’s the basis of the case,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll ever recover from the dramatic expense we’ve had to pay until we figure out how to better control the cartel activity that’s going on in Mexico.”
Still, the couple said they are focused on moving forward with the support of their family.
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“I think there are a lot of people like me out there,” Sherri Wright said. “I’m very lucky to have family around me who help me, and we can do things together as a family instead of me sitting in a nursing home.”
“You can’t stay inside and try to put the blame on someone else,” Jim Wright said. “You have to make the most of the situation and it gets easier over time.”
