A heroic story and a miracle, this is a story of a brave deputy officer who put himself in danger just to save others.
A married couple, both Tennessee deputies, were off-duty when they were struck and injured by a pickup truck driven by an off-duty deputy from another county.
Lucas and Nicole Shoffner have called East Tennessee home for several years. They put down roots while working for the military and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Although their careers have forced them to be ready for any disaster, they never could have expected what happened on Aug. 1.
According to Nicole, everything started when the miniature motorcycle she was operating lost a chain.
“At that point, I had scooted into the road,” Shoffner explained. “I didn’t know the chain had popped off so he [Lucas] was trying to fix it. We saw the lights coming from the car and he moved me to a point of safety right next to the grass. Next thing I know, his hand was on my back and then we were hit.”
The quick-thinking husband pushed his wife out of the way and ended up saving her life. But he himself was not that lucky…
When she woke, Nicole’s worst fear was realized.
“I woke up in the grass. I remember having grass in my mouth and my left shoe was off. After that, I saw Lucas in the road face down. I ran over to him and started doing a sternum rub. He had blood coming out of his nose and his mouth. I was just trying to talk to him, keep him with me.”
Once first responders arrived, Nicole was taken to Fort Sanders for a head CT and x-rays while Lucas was taken to the ICU at UT Medical Center.
The driver, 31-year-old Raymond Surber was off-duty and driving his 2017 Chevrolet Silverado on August 1 when he crashed into a young couple on the side of the road.
Nicole sustained minor injuries in comparison to her husband Lucas. She was rallying behind him and supporting every aspect of his recovery. Their friends set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple with their medical expenses.
They set up a goal of $100,000 of which over $97,000 was raised. Nicole thanked everyone who donated and helped them out and even those who are praying for the young couple’s recovery.
And here comes the miracle, after 23 days in his coma, Lucas finally woke up and was seen by doctors to be on the road to recovery. It has been reported that Lucas will now be headed to a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta to continue his recovery.
According to Nicole’s stories on Instagram, Lucas’ recovery seems to be going well. The ASCO deputy recently walked 200 steps at the rehabilitation center which was appreciated by his wife and celebrated by many people in their lives.
There is no greater love than one who would sacrifice their life for another, and Lucas perfectly embodies this platitude.
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: Taphaps, WBIR, Go Fund Me
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