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Suffolk Police officer hurt in LIE crash on the mend

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Officer in inset photo. Crash scene in background photo.

The Suffolk police officer critically injured when his car overturned during a Jan. 5 car chase on the Long Island Expressway is now in fair condition, police said.

“We are happy to report that Suffolk County Police Officer Brendan Gallagher, who was critically injured in a motor vehicle crash on January 5, has been upgraded to fair condition and remains at Stony Brook University Hospital,” Suffolk County Police said in a statement posted on the department’s Instagram account.

“Thank you to all the medical professionals who have worked tirelessly in Officer Gallagher’s recovery. Please continue to keep this officer and his family in your thoughts,” the statement continued.

The crash occurred as Gallagher, a member of the department’s recently created Street Takeover Task Force, was conducting a traffic stop near Exit 55 in Brentwood. When a Ford Mustang, allegedly driven by 29-year-old Cody Fisher, 29, sped past at speeds approaching 100 mph, Gallagher pursued the car.

During the chase, Fisher reportedly lost control of his Mustang, sideswiping the driver’s side of Gallagher’s patrol vehicle and causing the SUV to overturn and slam into a tree.

First responders worked furiously for 30 minutes to free Gallagher from the wreckage, during which he reportedly suffered severe blood loss. He was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery, receiving 25 units of blood.

Fisher’s vehicle also left the roadway, striking a light pole. An off-duty Nassau County Police officer passing by apprehended him.

Fisher was later charged with multiple offenses, including driving while impaired by drugs, second-degree assault, unlawful fleeing of a police officer and reckless driving. Officials noted Fisher was on probation for a prior weapons conviction.

Officer suffered extensive blood loss

Gallagher was initially in critical condition and on a ventilator. He had suffered extensive blood loss, multiple major internal injuries and significant injuries to his legs. The day after the crash, Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring said Gallagher’s injuries were “so severe, they are typically considered not survivable.”

This was not the first time that Gallagher faced serious injuries while on the job. In December 2022, Gallagher was stabbed in the chest and hand during a police call in Medford, officials said.

Authorities noted that on the night before the crash that hospitalized Gallagher, the officer had successfully pulled over and arrested two drivers who were racing at speeds above 100 mph on the expressway. That incident was just a few miles away from where the crash occurred.

A Fund the First fundraiser to help support Gallagher and his family has received more than 1,550 donations, raising over $130,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Click here for more information on how to donate to the Fund the First fundraiser for Gallagher.

Gallagher has served with Suffolk County for three years and was previously in the U.S. Army National Guard for 10 years, serving in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2017.

Top photos: Brendan Gallagher was critically injured in a crash on the Long Island Expressway during his pursuit of a Ford Mustang driver who was driving at speeds above 100 mph. The cop is now in fair condition at Stony Brook University Hospital (Suffolk County Police photos).

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