Gallagher, a three-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Street Takeover Task Force, was gravely injured on Sunday, Jan. 5, when a Ford Mustang driven by a suspected impaired driver sideswiped his vehicle, causing it to overturn near Exit 55 in the westbound lanes of the LIE, police said.
The incident occurred as Gallagher conducted a traffic stop. The Mustang, driven by Cody Fischer, sped past at an estimated 95 to 100 mph. Gallagher pursued the vehicle, which fishtailed and sideswiped his patrol car. Gallagher’s vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned, leaving him with critical injuries, authorities said.
Emergency medical crews worked for over 30 minutes to extricate Gallagher from his patrol car before he was flown to Stony Brook University Hospital. After spending 22 days in the hospital and undergoing emergency surgery, Gallagher has shown significant improvement and will continue his recovery at home, according to a press release issued Sunday, Jan. 26.
“This marks a miraculous step in Officer Gallagher’s recovery,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. A press conference with Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring and Dr. James Vosswinkel, Stony Brook’s Chief of Trauma, is scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m.
This marks the second time Gallagher has been seriously injured in the line of duty. In 2022, he was stabbed during a confrontation in Medford.
Gallagher’s recovery has drawn widespread support from the Suffolk County Police Department and the community. “Please continue to keep Officer Gallagher and his family in your thoughts,” the department said.
Fischer, who was on probation for a weapons charge at the time, has been charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, Second-Degree Assault, Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer, and Reckless Driving, police said.
The press conference will be held at Stony Brook University Hospital on Monday, Jan. 27, at 11:30 a.m. so check back here for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice West Babylon and receive free news updates.