Thursday, February 16, 2023, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Lewis Johnson was severely injured when he was hit by a suspect’s car. A trooper spotted a driver near Eureka with a warrant out for his arrest. A pursuit started, and Johnson joined in. The suspect went off onto a snowy road. “We thought he was stuck,” explained Johnson. “We exited our vehicles and began to approach his vehicle. He regained control and ran me over.”
Johnson arrived at Logan Health in Kalispell with a line of troopers, deputies, and officers from the helicopter to the door of the emergency room. He suffered a long list of injuries including, a fractured left shoulder, 22 of his 24 broken ribs, a punctured right lung, a lacerated liver, bruised stomach lining, a broken left patella, and T11 and T12 vertebrae dislocation, leaving him paralyzed and wheelchair bound.
Johnson spent nearly eight months at Craig Hospital in Colorado, learning how to do simple tasks and adjusting to being in a wheelchair.
Johnson was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 20, which also happened to be his birthday, and he made it home just in time for their son’s first day of preschool.
They were welcomed home by several departments, family, and friends. Community members gathered on Sunday in Chester City Park to celebrate Trooper Johnson’s return with great food, live music, and good spirits.
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
