MURRAY, Utah — It has been almost one month since a Utah Highway Patrol trooper fell off a freeway overpass while deploying spike strips during a police chase.
After being in the hospital for weeks, FOX 13 News learned on Monday that Trooper Steve "Odie" Myer had been moved to a rehabilitation facility in Murray.
On Feb. 13, Myer was participating in enforcement on North Temple with Salt Lake City Police and some other agencies.
"We had a pursuit from one of our, I think it was an unmarked car, that actually started on and the helicopter was able to pick up the vehicle and follow it," said Myer.
Myer, a UHP motor officer with about 38 years of law enforcement experience, eventually ended up on an overpass at 7200 West, near I-80.
He says he went to deploy spike strips to stop the vehicle that was fleeing from police.
That vehicle, Myer says, first swerved to avoid spikes put down in the northbound lane.
"I think he just barely saw them, so he swerved to avoid them, and I didn't know because once I went behind my truck, I couldn't see him, but I didn't want to get hit by his car for sure," he said.
Myer explained what happened moments later.
"There was a barrier there for protection, so when I took the big step back... that's the last thing I pretty much remember," he said.
He told FOX 13 News on Monday that he thinks he hit that barrier with his foot and it just tipped him over backward, causing him to fall more than 30 feet.
"The next thing I remember is being in a bag, some type of a bag that I guess it come from our helicopter pilots, and our TFO officer put me in the bag and I remember the bag fluttering," said Myer. "The next thing that I actually remember is either going in or coming out of the operating room."
He says miraculously, he didn't hit his head. However, many of the injuries he sustained were to the left side of his body.
"The big thing was, I guess, my heart went through the pericardial sac that it sits in, that tore through that and it ended up under my armpit," Myer described. "Next thing is kind of down to my pelvis — it's basically shattered."
Due to his injuries, he cannot walk at the moment.
"The pilot and the TFO officer that decided to turn and help me come back... the DPS helicopter is the one that picked me up and brought me to IHC — they saved my life," said Myer.
He pointed to the many miracles he said have happened, including getting to the hospital, still being alive and then being able to fix things that he says doctors haven't seen for a long time.
"I need to watch my grandbabies grow up and do their thing, and my children," said Myer. "My family is most important."
As Myer continues his recovery, he did mention he would love to return to work at some point. He told FOX 13 News on Monday that he's a motor officer and riding motorcycles is his life, whether it is on-duty or off-duty, and that he would like to get back to that.
He also spoke on Monday about the support he has received, both locally and around the nation. He said he had blankets sent to him from a group of women in Oregon who do that for any officer who's hurt in the line of duty.
He said many of his fellow troopers have come to see him. He also said legislators and Governor Spencer Cox have reached out to him.
