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State trooper almost killed in Utah crash now recovering in Mass. hospital

Local News

Matthew McRae suffered a broken neck and spinal damage when an alleged drunk driver rammed into a car he was in while on vacation in Utah.

The Massachusetts State Police trooper who was seriously injured by an alleged drunk driver while on vacation in Utah last month is making progress on his recovery in a Boston-area hospital. 

Massachusetts State Police trooper Matthew McRae progresses on his recovery after a serious car crash in Utah. – The State Police Association of Massachusetts

Matthew McRae is improving every day, the State Police Association of Massachusetts said in a social media post Tuesday. He can now move his extremities again, and is speaking with friends and family. McRae is also starting physical therapy. 

In the post, McRae can be seen giving a thumbs up and smiling from a hospital bed at an undisclosed location. 

“We are so incredibly happy to be able to give this great news and continue to look towards more improvements every day,” the union said. 

The crash occurred at about 1 a.m. on Aug. 25, as McRae and another passenger were traveling in a rideshare vehicle in Salt Lake City. McRae, another passenger, and the operator of the rideshare were all transported to a hospital with varying degrees of injury. 

The driver of the other vehicle, a Mini Cooper, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, local media outlet KSL reported. That driver was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. A passenger who was also in the Mini Cooper at the time of the crash was detained by police for allegedly interfering in the investigation. 

McRae was left in critical condition in the ICU. He suffered a broken neck, a spinal injury, and multiple broken bones, the union said. 

A trooper based in the State Police Belchertown barracks, McRae has served for four years. Prior to joining the State Police, he was a local police officer for three years. 

“The Association and the McRae Family would like to thank everyone who has supported him, including Matthew’s academy classmates and fellow Troopers, our elected leaders who are actively establishing legislation to create a sick leave bank, the Greg Hill Foundation for their fundraising, and all of the community members who have stepped up to support Matthew and his family during this difficult time,” the union said. 

The Greg Hill Foundation pledged to match donations up to $10,000. That money will go directly towards McRae’s recovery and medical needs. More than $7,000 has been donated through the foundation so far. A GoFundMe was also set up to support McRae. It blew past a $60,000 goal, and has raised more than $132,000 as of Wednesday.