Suffolk County Police Officer Brendon Gallagher.

Suffolk County Police Officer Brendon Gallagher. Credit: SCPD

The Suffolk County police officer who was critically injured in a crash on the Long Island Expressway earlier this month has been upgraded from serious to fair condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, officials said Tuesday.

Brendon Gallagher, 30, was taken off a ventilator on Monday and is breathing on his own, according to Dr. James Vosswinkel, chief of trauma surgery at Stony Brook, but remains in the intensive care unit.

"He does have a long road ahead of him and multiple hurdles to overcome as he continues to heal," said Vosswinkel, who is also the Suffolk County Police Department’s chief surgeon. "But I am pleased that Brendon has been able to come off the ventilator."

Gallagher, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, suffered severe trauma after a suspect knocked his police vehicle off the expressway in Brentwood on Jan. 5, police said.

Gallagher's vehicle hit a tree and overturned, trapping him in the twisted wreckage for more than 30 minutes. Gallagher’s aorta was slashed, resulting in a tremendous loss of blood. His lungs were injured and his abdominal wall lacerated through the skin and muscle following the crash, said Vosswinkel, who described Gallagher as strong and tough-minded.

"We are extremely encouraged to hear Officer Brendon Gallagher’s condition has been upgraded," Suffolk Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring said. "While this is welcome news, we know he has a long road ahead. Officer Gallagher is resilient and has already proven he has the determination to beat the odds."

It was the second time Gallagher was injured during his three-year tenure with the Suffolk County Police Department. He was stabbed during a confrontation with a Medford man in December 2022. Gallagher’s partner, Raymond Stock, was also injured during that attack.

Gallagher’s immediate family, as well as Suffolk police officers, have been at his bedside 24/7 since the crash, Vosswinkel said.

"Our prayers have been answered and he is improving in a positive direction," said Lou Civello, president of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents police officers. "We were very close to losing him. The fact that he is breathing on his own is nothing short of a miracle."

Cody Fisher, 29, of Brentwood, pleaded not guilty to initial charges at his arraignment Jan. 6 in Central Islip. Suffolk District Judge Steven Weissbard set bail at $1 million cash and $2 million bond.

Fisher will be arraigned before Suffolk Supreme Court Justice John Collins Friday in Riverhead on a 10-count indictment with upgraded charges, including felony counts of assault of a police officer and vehicular assault.

Gallagher is a member of the department’s Street Takeover Task Force, created last year to combat illegal street racing. Police said Gallagher was on a traffic stop on Jan. 5 just after 6 p.m. near Exit 55 on the westbound portion of the expressway when a 2021 Ford Mustang driven by Fisher sped by at 95 to 100 mph, police said.

Gallagher followed Fisher, pulling behind the Mustang and activating his sirens and lights, officials said. Fisher accelerated, and the Mustang fishtailed, striking Gallagher’s vehicle, police said.

Fisher almost struck another vehicle while changing lanes, and then overcorrected, sideswiping the driver’s side of Gallagher’s SUV and forcing it off the road, the police said. The police vehicle then hit a tree and overturned.

FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.  Credit: Newsday/File Footage; Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steven Day, Bebeto Matthews; Getty Images

'A different situation at every airport' FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.  Credit: Newsday/File Footage; Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steven Day, Bebeto Matthews; Getty Images

'A different situation at every airport' FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

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