A Massachusetts state Trooper who was nearly killed in a crash with an alleged drunk driver while vacationing in Utah last month has been relocated to a rehabilitation hospital in Boston where he is improving and beginning physical therapy, officials announced Tuesday.
Trooper Matthew McRae was in critical condition when he was taken to the intensive care unit at the University of Utah Hospital on Aug. 25. He had suffered a spinal injury and a broken neck while he was a passenger in a vehicle he had hired through a ride-hailing service in Salt Lake City.
On Tuesday, McRae was sending a “thank you” message and flashing a thumbs up from his bed at an undisclosed hospital where “he continues to improve every day,” Cam Goggins, a spokesperson for the State Police Association of Massachusetts, said in a statement.
“He is now settled in at a Boston area rehabilitation hospital and is making gains in his recovery, now able to move his extremities, speak with family and friends, and is beginning physical therapy,” Goggins statement said. “We are so incredibly happy to be able to give this great news and continue to look towards more improvements every day.”
The union and the McRae family thanked those “who have stepped up to support Matthew and his family during this difficult time,” including McRae’s academy classmates, fellow Troopers, and elected leaders who are actively establishing legislation to create a sick leave bank, the statement said.
They also thanked the Greg Hill Foundation, which has set up a fund and promised to match all donations up to $10,000: https://www.thegreghillfoundation.org/donations/matthewmcrae/
McRae, another passenger, and the driver for the ride-hailing service were all hospitalized with “severe injuries” following the crash at about 1 a.m., according to a GoFundMe page set up on McRae’s behalf.
The driver of the other vehicle “was arrested for operating under the influence,” officials said.
McRae is based in the State Police Belchertown barracks and has served as a trooper for four years and was a local police officer for three, according to SPAM and the fundraising page.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.