RALEIGH — A 15-year-old Broughton High School student who was struck by a car last September has surpassed expectations in his recovery and has returned to school.

Frank Nicholson suffered severe head injuries when a car driven by a man charged with drunk driving jumped the curb and struck Nicholson, his sister and another student as they were walking to school.

As recently as December, Nicholson's family was concerned he might never lead a normal life. He still had blood clots on his brain and was rarely coherent. It was in December that he spoke his first word since the accident.

But life at the Nicholson home is quite different now. Frank's amazing recovery is developing one step at a time and one day at a time according to his family. Frank told WRAL-TV5's Betsy Sykes he's not angry about what happened to him, he's just thankful to be out of the hospital and getting better, despite an exhaustive daily physical therapy session.

This week, Frank went back in school. Not only is he learning, he's also teaching his fellow students about courage and determination.

Monday, Frank will start playing saxophone again with the school band. It's another milestone in his recovery and something he says he could not have doe without the help of his friends, family and the community.

Friday morning, Frank took his first test since returning to school. It was an English test, and his grade was 102.

Better than perfect.