Wounded Officer Applauded as He Moves to Rehab

Image: Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone

To sustained applause, Suffolk Police Officer Nicholas Guerrero, who was critically injured in a hit-and-run in Huntington in September, was released from Stony Brook University Hospital Friday morning and headed to rehab.

The applause of hundreds of law-enforcement personnel, medical workers, friends and family grew even louder after the ambulance took Guerrero to an undisclosed rehab where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Guerrero, 36, and his partner were struck by a vehicle fleeing a traffic stop on Partridge Lane in Huntington on Sept. 22. Guerrero suffered a serious head injury and was airlifted to Stony Brook, where he remained until Friday.

“Since he suffered a severe head injury during a traffic stop, Nick has been under the compassionate care of Stony Brook University Hospital personnel,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, at the hospital. “We wish for speedy recovery of this fine young officer.”

At a news conference Friday, Dr. James Vosswinkel, Stony Brook’s chief of the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care also credited Guerrero’s “character, his strength and his will as well as the overwhelming support of this immediate family as well as his extended family – the police department.”

Chad Morizsan, 34, and Nicholas Franzone, 22, of Northport, were indicted on upgraded charges stemming from the hit-and-run and if convicted could face up to 25 years in state prison, authorities said.

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