News | Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

<STRONG><BIG>PRAISE FOR STONY BROOK TRAUMA CENTER AS POLICE OFFICER IS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL </BIG></STRONG>

<P><B><font color="#990000"><I>Odds Were against Officer Surviving Head Injury from Hit-Run Driver</I></font></B></P>

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<img src="/sdmpubfiles/cckimages/page/guerrero-vosswinkel-500_0.jpg" width="500" height="201" alt="Dr. James Vosswinkel shakes hands with Officer Nicholas Guerrero" title="Dr. James Vosswinkel shakes hands with Officer Nicholas Guerrero as he enters the ambulance that would transport him to a local rehabilitation facility." />
<br /><div class="caption"><table width=500><tr><td>Dr. James Vosswinkel shakes hands with Officer Nicholas Guerrero as he enters the ambulance that would transport him to a local rehabilitation facility.</td></tr></table>
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<P>STONY BROOK, NY, October 17, 2014 — The Suffolk police officer who was critically injured by a hit-run driver in Huntington on September 22nd was discharged from Stony Brook University Hospital today.</P>

<P>Officer Nicholas Guerrero, 36, was escorted out of the hospital front lobby with applause from more than 100 fellow officers along with physicians, nurses, and other medical staff as he made his way to an ambulance that would transport him to a local rehabilitation facility.</P>

<P>"Statistically, he had only a one-in-three chance of surviving," said <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-james-a-vosswinkel">James A. Vosswinkel, MD</a>, chief of our <a href="/surgery/divisions/trauma-surgical-critical-care">Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care Division</a> and medical director of the <a href="http://trauma.stonybrookmedicine.edu/" target="_blank">Stony Brook Trauma Center</a>.</P>

<P>"We are all ecstatic today at his great recovery. However, throughout this process, if it were not for Nick's character, his strength, and his will, as well as the overwhelming support of his immediate family and his extended family of the police department, I truly don't believe any of this could have happened."</P>

<p><div class="photobox2">
<a href="http://medicine.stonybrookmedicine.edu/sdmpubfiles/cckimages/page/escor…; title="Fellow police officers line up to applaud and cheer Officer Guerrero as he leaves hospital." class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" rel="gallery-all"><img src="/sdmpubfiles/styles/240/public/cckimages/page/escort-for-guerrero.jpg?itok=D1w6CkJp" width="240" height="160" alt="Police line up to applaud and cheer Officer Guerrero as he leaves hospital" title="Fellow police officers line up to applaud and cheer Officer Guerrero as he leaves hospital." class="image-240" /></a>
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Fellow police officers line up to applaud and<BR>
cheer Officer Guerrero as he leaves hospital.</div></div>

<P>Officer Guerrero, a four-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police, spent weeks in a medically-induced coma after suffering a serious head injury.</P>

<P>"One of our Heroes, Police Officer Nick Guerrero, who suffered life-threatening injuries from attempting to stop some of the bad guys out there doing harm in our community, will leave Stony Brook University Hospital today on the road to recovery," said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.</P>

<P>"Officer Guerrero's injuries could have been much worse and fatal if it was not for the swift, immediate action from his colleagues, first responders, and the outstanding medical team here at Stony Brook University Hospital."</P>

<P>Stony Brook University Hospital is the only Regional (Level I) Trauma Center for Suffolk County.</P>

<P><a href="/surgery/patient-care/clinical/trauma-surgical-critical-care">Our trauma specialists</a> coordinate the initial evaluation and treatment of all injured patients transported by ambulance or helicopter to the ER. Stony Brook Medicine's trauma program has been recognized as being in the top 4% nationally, and is the top-ranked center in the care of pedestrian trauma.</P>

<P>Officer Guerrero is expected to make a full recovery, and there is even hope that he will return to the police force.</P>

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<B>Stony Brook University Hospital is Suffolk County's only designated Regional (Level I) Trauma Center</B> — the highest designation possible — which means it has the capabilities to care for the most complex illness and injuries, and takes referrals from the surrounding community hospitals. Stony Brook's Trauma Center is among four of 40 trauma centers in New York State whose survival rates for patients with severe traumatic injury were significantly above the statewide average — and is one of only two centers recognized twice consecutively for this achievement. <a href="http://trauma.stonybrookmedicine.edu/" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about our Trauma Center.
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<P><span class="pointer"><B>Watch this video clip (0:17 min) of Officer Guerrero leaving University Hospital in ambulance taking him to local rehabilitation facility:</B></span></P>