Brendon Gallagher, Suffolk police officer badly injured in LIE crash, released from hospital after 22 days

Hundreds of law-enforcement officials from across Long Island and New York City cheered as the Suffolk police officer who was severely injured on Jan. 5 during a near-fatal crash on the Long Island Expressway was released from Stony Brook University Hospital on Monday.

Officer Brendon Gallagher left the hospital in a wheelchair pushed by his sergeant, Mike Santillo of the Street Takeover Task Force, as drums boomed, bagpipes skirled, and the American flag snapped in the wind on a sunny morning. Gallagher, 30, was accompanied by his girlfriend and his parents as he left the hospital.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Gallagher was able to stand on his own and climb into the black van that would take him home, accompanied by dozens of police motorcycles and vehicles.

Uniformed officers from the Suffolk County Police Department, along with representatives from the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office, Nassau police, the NYPD, New York State Police and other agencies, cheered as Gallagher, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, left the hospital after 22 days. The injured officer wore a Suffolk Police Benevolent Association hoodie that said "Gallagher Strong" underneath the union’s insignia, covered in part by a drawing of his trademark handlebar mustache.

"Today, we see something that is nothing short of a miracle, that he is being released a short three weeks and one day after his accident," Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said outside the hospital, shortly before Gallagher was released. "I cannot say loud enough, ‘Welcome home, Brendon.’ ”

Dr. James Vosswinkel, the hospital’s chief of trauma surgery and the Suffolk police chief surgeon, said it may take months, if not years, for Gallagher to fully recover from his injuries. But Gallagher has made "miraculous" progress since the crash, he said.

"He still has a long road to recovery, but knowing him, he will fight through it, and we will see him at work soon," said Suffolk Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring. "He is an amazing guy, and an inspiration to all of us."

Gallagher was involved in a routine traffic stop at about 6 p.m. on Jan. 5 between Exits 57 and 58 of the LIE when defendant Cody B. Fisher, of Brentwood, sped by him in a Mustang, driving more than 100 mph, officials have said. Gallagher attempted to pull Fisher over, and the Mustang struck Gallagher’s police vehicle, causing it to flip on its side and hit a tree, leaving the officer with critical injuries.

Gallagher was trapped in the twisted wreckage of his police vehicle for 45 minutes before first responders were able to remove him and transport him via helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, Vosswinkel said. His aorta was slashed, Vosswinkel said, resulting in a near-fatal loss of blood. His abdominal wall was lacerated through the skin and muscle and may need to be reconstructed. Gallagher also suffered nerve damage in his legs, making it difficult for him to walk.

"We’re at a joyous point that Brendon is going to be discharged home today, and I don’t say that lightly, given the circumstances," Vosswinkel said. "The words ‘miracle’ and ‘miraculous’ are sometimes overstated. Not in this case."

The expressway crash is the second time Gallagher has been injured during his three-year tenure with the Suffolk County Police Department. He was stabbed during a confrontation with a Medford man in December 2022. Gallagher’s partner, Raymond Stock, was also injured during that attack.

Fisher, 29, pleaded not guilty to assault on a police officer, second-degree assault, and other crimes outlined in a 10-count indictment earlier this month. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 20. Fisher’s blood alcohol content was 0.06% several hours after the near-fatal crash, prosecutors said, and THC was also in his blood. The legal BAC limit in New York State is 0.08%.

Fisher faces up to 15 in prison if convicted on the top count. He was on probation at the time of the crash for a weapons charge stemming from a 2021 Queens road rage incident, prosecutors have said.

Suffolk PBA president Lou Civello called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow authorities to seize and crush cars involved in street racing and road takeovers.

"Today is a good day," Civello said. "We are profoundly grateful that Brendon’s life has been spared."