LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) -- The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 49 people near Lexington last week asked family members from his hospital bed, "Why did God do this to me?" but he hasn't mentioned the crash, a close family friend said Wednesday.
James Polehinke, who was the flight's co-pilot, can move only his head, and tears often well up in his eyes, said Antonio Cruz, Polehinke's mother's boyfriend. He said the 44-year-old had only gained consciousness on Tuesday.
Polehinke hasn't mentioned the crash and doctors have encouraged family members not to ask him about it, Cruz told The Associated Press.
According to federal investigators, Polehinke was controlling Comair Flight 5191 when the regional jet took off from a too-short runway at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, crashed and caught fire in a nearby field on August 27. He was pulled to safety from the broken cockpit, but everyone else aboard the plane died in the crash and fire.
Polehinke is now off a ventilator but could be hospitalized for several more weeks with facial and spine fractures, a broken leg, foot and hand, three broken ribs, a broken breastbone and a collapsed lung.
He has asked about various family members, Cruz said, and has questioned his relationship with God.
One of the first full sentences he said after regaining consciousness was, "Why did God do this to me?" Cruz said.
When reached for comment, God replied "Because I'm a mean, vindictive, vicious fucker with no rhyme or reason to my capricious action. Hell, the things that I make happen to people are so random, it's almost as if I didn't exist."