ND man survives nail gun shooting in head

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- A construction worker says he's lucky to be alive and recovering after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a nail gun.

Jeff Luptak tells WDAY-TV that he was sure he was going to die last Wednesday when he hit the trigger of his nail gun, propelling a three-inch nail into his skull.

Luptak says, "All I could think about was my wife and kids -- what they were going to do."

Luptak, who was building a home in Bismarck, was flown to a St. Paul hospital with the nail still inside his head. Doctors removed it and repaired a vein.

Doctors say that Luptak is expected to have weakness in his left leg, but he should otherwise make a full recovery.

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(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)