OAKDALE, Minn. — Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Mike Krukowski has returned to the streets, 13 months after he suffered multiple injuries in a high-speed, head-on collision in Lakeville.
"I thank God for being alive, basically. It totally could've gone a different direction very easily, and my wife would be a widow and my kids wouldn't have a dad."
Sgt. Krukowski works for the State Patrol's Office of Pupil Transportation, the agency that inspects school buses and offers safety education to bus drivers and others involved in moving students around on four wheels.
On Wednesday, he stood in front of the wreckage of his patrol truck extolling the life-saving virtues of buckling up behind the wheel.
"This is evidence right here that seat belts do work," Krukowski remarked.
"It allowed me to stay alive."
Even with all of his training and 15 years as a trooper, there was no time to react to what happened to him May 15, 2018.
Krukowski was driving down Kenrick Ave., a frontage road to Interstate 35W in Lakeville. Without any warning, a Chrysler 200 suddenly veered off the freeway and burst through a fence, slamming into the front of Krukowski's truck.
When he regained consciousness, he was in pain. He realized both feet were broken, and his left arm was fractured in two places.
Krukowski said his first thought was to get on the radio so he could let first responders know he was still alive.
"There’s a level of urgency we all feel when we’re in this field as emergency responders, that idea that 'I got to get their now' and so I wanted them to hear my voice and be safe when they’re responding as well, right?"
His next thought was to call his wife because he didn't want her to be traumatized by hearing about the accident from somebody else. The third thought was to be ready to move, even with the broken feet, if the vehicle erupted in flames.
The driver of the other car, 24-year-old Wesley Briggs, died several days later from his injuries.
For Krukowski it was a long road to recovery, with multiple surgeries. When he first returned to work he was assigned to office duty, but eventually was feeling physically able to get back behind the wheel.
"I needed to get myself conditioned again and ready for the job, whether it’s running after somebody, or you know standing for long periods of time – I mean, there’s a lot your feet take on that you don’t think about until you lose that ability."
It's a bit surreal to look at the wreckage of his truck, but Krukowski said he was happy to take part in the State Patrol's holiday push to remind people of the need to buckle up for safety.
He said no matter how careful you are as a driver there's no way to predict what other drivers, especially impaired ones, will do.