Longtime KTRU disc jockey Clint Broussard, whose popular show Blues in Hi-Fi has been a Wednesday-night staple for more than 12 years, is recuperating at home after two surgeries on his leg. Broussard's leg was "separated below the knee" during a collision on U.S. 59 near the Spur 525 intersection.

Broussard, who spoke from his parents' home in Port Arthur, where he expects to be recuperating for the next eight weeks, says he left Mike Stinson's March 22 gig at Leon's Lounge around midnight and was cruising in the far left lane to avoid merging traffic from the spur when he was cut-off by another car.

Broussard swerved to avoid the other vehicle and lost control of his own, doing a 180-degree spin before crashing head-on into the concrete center barrier at highway speed.

"It was a pretty bad scene," says Broussard, who works at Cactus Music and the Ginger Man. "There was a hank of hair in the windshield where my head hit. I never lost consciousness but I was in shock.

"I actually got out of the car and was sitting by the freeway waiting for the ambulance, and all I could think about was that I needed to get home because I had to work in the morning. My head was bleeding pretty badly, and fortunately a guy stopped and sat with me until the ambulance came."

EMS arrived within 15 minutes and took Broussard to nearby Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Medical Center, where doctors found a major separation below the knee, as well as head and hand wounds that required stitches.

Broussard had two surgeries on his lower leg last week, and was released from the hospital on Monday. He describes his prognosis as "good."

As for his long-running radio show, Broussard noted that various KTRU staffers have filled in to keep the show going.

"All kinds of people have jumped in to keep the show going," he says. "It's really gratifying to see that kind of support from my KTRU friends."

Broussard, who had auto insurance but no health insurance, can't be on the leg for at least eight weeks. He noted that Ginger Man manager Joe Jackson is already in the early stages of planning a benefit to help belay Broussard's considerable medical expenses.

Jackson expects the date to be in late May or early June, but it has yet to be finalized. The tentative list of performers is Mighty Orq, Mike Stinson, and John Egan.

KTRU is also in the process of setting up a PayPal account for donations. Stay tuned to Rocks Off for further details.