Kalamazoo Police Officer Left Paralyzed After Accident; GoFundMe Started to Help Family
One Kalamazoo Police Officer is now paralyzed from the waist down after a suspected drunk driving incident this past weekend.
Authorities say Officer Tom Maher will be paralyzed following the accident on North Riverview Drive.
Authorities say it happened about 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Neighbors were awoken to a loud "boom." When they came out to inspect what had happened, they found Maher laying in one of the neighborhood yards.
Maher was riding his motorcycle to work when the alleged drunk driver hit him. One neighbor allegedly saw the drunk driver get out of their car after the accident and ask, "what happened?"
Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says the driver was intoxicated, though no charges have been filed at this time. A toxicology report has been ordered on the driver of the other vehicle. Results could take up to six weeks to come back.
Officer Maher was taken to the hospital where part of one of his legs had to be amputated. He underwent multiple surgeries over the span of several days. Sadly, though, doctors concluded that he will likely be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.
Maher has a wife and three kids at home, and community leaders are rallying behind him. Fundraisers have already been started in his name to help pay for medical costs, including a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $50,000 as of Tuesday.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash currently.