CHARLOTTE — Trooper Adolfo Lopez-Alcedo returned to full duty on Monday after he was seriously hurt in a wreck on Interstate 485 in July 2020.
“I’ve been wanting to come back ever since I got hurt. I just wanted to come back,” Lopez-Alcedo said.
Troopers were out on the interstate the morning of July 4, 2020 to investigate a crash that happened the night before that killed five people. Lopez-Alcedo was helping with shutting down the interstate near the Oakdale Road bridge.
He started slowing down traffic and stepped out of his car onto I-485. Shortly afterward, Lopez-Alcedo’s patrol car was hit by another car. The patrol vehicle then hit the trooper.
“I had the whole interstate shut down and most of the cars moved over and just one car did not see my lights,” Lopez-Alcedo said.
The driver of the other car, Troy Douglas Edmiston, was charged with felony failure to move over upon approach of a law enforcement officer.
Lopez-Alcedo was taken to Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries to his body and brain. According to the Highway Patrol, he spent 84 days in the hospital and in rehab recovering from his injuries.
“I had ribs broken, jawline. I lost my hearing on the right,” he said. “My mind was set to come back, it was just my body that needed to regain the strength to come back and here I am.”
Lopez-Alcedo passed his physical fitness requirements, along with defensive tactics, drive training and firearms certification.
Just as things started to look up and he prepared to return to work, he contracted COVID-19 earlier in September, giving him just one more hurdle on his long journey.
He’s fine now, and said it’s his love for his job and his commitment to service that brought him back.
“I’m proud to be here and proud to serve. I just have to get to it,” Lopez-Alcedo said.
Lopez-Alcedo will be stationed in Union County.
(WATCH PREVIOUS STORY BELOW: Trooper critically hurt when car collides with patrol cruiser; driver charged)
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