State trooper still hospitalized after Dallas North Tollway crash in December
Family gives update on injured state trooper
A state trooper who was critically injured on the Dallas North Tollway in December is still recovering in the hospital. His father talked to FOX 4 about his recovery. Trooper Austin Parrott still has a long journey ahead of him.
DALLAS - The family of a state trooper who was seriously injured in a crash in North Texas is sharing an update on his recovery.
Trooper Austin Parrott was working a crash in Far North Dallas in December when another driver slammed into him.
Trooper Austin Parrott’s Recovery
What they're saying:
"We’re just taking it one day at a time by God’s grace," said Rodney Parrott, the trooper’s father.
Parrott’s father spoke to FOX 4 from a Houston hotel room. That’s where his son is now hospitalized 72 days after the accident.
"He doesn’t have much movement in his extremities, and today I got him to move his feet a little bit. So that was a blessing," he said.
The little movements are big steps for the 30-year-old trooper of four years.
For the first few weeks, doctors weren’t sure if he’d pull through.
"I really didn’t know what to think at the time. It was surreal. It was unreal that it was happening to him," his father said.
He’s still unable to talk. But he is awake, alert, and off the ventilator.
"He has a heart of a champion. He really does. Every day you can tell he’s fighting. He’s fighting hard," Parrott’s father said.
State trooper critically injured in DNT crash
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trooper in ICU; Driver arrested after crash
A state trooper suffered critical injuries after being struck by a vehicle while investigating an accident on Monday morning.
The backstory:
In December, Trooper Parrott was working to clear a single-car wreck on the Dallas North Tollway.
Investigators said a Mini Cooper plowed into the accident scene, injuring the trooper and a private security guard who stopped to help with the initial accident.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, identified as 20-year-old Talha Noaman, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
DPS trooper remains in ICU; driver arrested after Dallas North Tollway crash
A state trooper suffered critical injuries after being struck by a vehicle while investigating an accident on Monday morning.
Parrott was rushed to Plano Presbyterian in critical condition.
Doctors worried about the specific type of brain damage he had.
"Just the fact that he is alive is a miracle because about 50% of the people who have that pass away pretty quickly," his father said.
Once stabilized, he was transferred to a hospital in Houston for specialized care.
The Source: FOX 4's Peyton Yager talked to Rodney Parrott about his son, Austin Parrott's, recovery. Some of the details in this story also come from past news coverage.