Injured DPS Trooper Recovering, Gives Thanks to Community
By: Rob Durham, BreckenridgeAmerican.com
Updated: February 12, 2013
Department of Public Safety trooper Bob Sims and his wife Linda Sims are recovering following an accident on State Highway 67 in early January.
Sims is now recovering at their home with a pelvic injury and bladder trauma.
Bob Sims suffered severe pelvic injuries, cracked ribs and a leg injury when he turned around in his DPS cruiser to make a traffic stop and was hit broad side by his son Cody in their Chevy Avalanche. Cody's wife, Jessa, was also a passenger in the Avalanche, but was uninjured.
Sims will be up for a pair of surgeries over the next two months, which Linda Sims says "They are ready for and working toward recovering."
"Right now, all we have is time, so we're going to get through this," said Linda, who suffered facial trauma and a broken jaw. "His upper body strength has been a blessing because he can't bear any weight at all on his leg. We'll go back on the 20th (February). We're almost a month into things now and he's got a really good attitude about things so we're blessed."
"All I remember is seeing the bright lights in that oncoming vehicle and I turned to make the stop," Bob Sims said. "I was in the wrong and I take full fault for that. It was just one of those deals where I just didn't make a good decision."
Bob Sims said after the wreck, he really didn't remember much that took place, other than telling Cody to make sure his mother was OK.
"I was doing OK and people were telling me that Bob was going to be OK," Linda said. "But when I heard he was going to be careflighted, I got nervous. And, it was such a long time before I was able to see him."
Linda said she remembered seeing her husband's patrol vehicle and the impact of the vehicles colliding.
"I remember hearing Cody say 'Oh my God,' and then trying to turn that Avalanche. I don't remember hitting the seat, but I do remember trying to put my seatbelt on. I reached for it, but thought it was so different trying to put it on in that vehicle. So I thought 'well it's OK because we were just going to Graham' because I was in the backseat."
During their accident, both Sims' said the care shown by the staff at Stephens Memorial Hospital was unbelievable.
"The care that the staff at our hospital was great. It's a shame that you hear so much negative about our hospital but they took such good care of us. I couldn't think of going anywhere else," Lin Sims said. "You can tell the staff out there have a heart for people and they care about their patients. I can't imagine not having that good of a facility like that in our town."
Bob Sims agreed.
"They took such good care of us," he said. "I will put them up against anyone. They were great. The took excellent care of us. They would come in and check on me at all times."
Both also talked about their respective Breckenridge and DPS communities that helped them during their stay in Fort Worth, as well as the Harris Hospital staff.
"You know, sometimes there are situations where 'thank you' just isn't enough. This is one of those times," Bob Sims said. "We are totally overwhelmed with the love and support shown by our community."
Lin Sims said the DPS community reached out to them as well, sometimes from people they have never met.
"The DPS community is a tight-knit group and the support they gave us while we were in Fort Worth is unreal," she said. "There were troopers and staff from all over...some we had never met before that came by to offer their support and help.
"It was unbelievable. We are very grateful."
Linda Sims lauded the Harris Methodist staff.
"They could tell the tight bond we had with our community and they took extra measures to accommodate us," she said. "That was so nice of them to realize that. They gave Bob a bigger room where he was able to have lots of visitors. We are so appreciative of that."
Sims is now recovering at their home with a pelvic injury and bladder trauma.
Bob Sims suffered severe pelvic injuries, cracked ribs and a leg injury when he turned around in his DPS cruiser to make a traffic stop and was hit broad side by his son Cody in their Chevy Avalanche. Cody's wife, Jessa, was also a passenger in the Avalanche, but was uninjured.
Sims will be up for a pair of surgeries over the next two months, which Linda Sims says "They are ready for and working toward recovering."
"Right now, all we have is time, so we're going to get through this," said Linda, who suffered facial trauma and a broken jaw. "His upper body strength has been a blessing because he can't bear any weight at all on his leg. We'll go back on the 20th (February). We're almost a month into things now and he's got a really good attitude about things so we're blessed."
"All I remember is seeing the bright lights in that oncoming vehicle and I turned to make the stop," Bob Sims said. "I was in the wrong and I take full fault for that. It was just one of those deals where I just didn't make a good decision."
Bob Sims said after the wreck, he really didn't remember much that took place, other than telling Cody to make sure his mother was OK.
"I was doing OK and people were telling me that Bob was going to be OK," Linda said. "But when I heard he was going to be careflighted, I got nervous. And, it was such a long time before I was able to see him."
Linda said she remembered seeing her husband's patrol vehicle and the impact of the vehicles colliding.
"I remember hearing Cody say 'Oh my God,' and then trying to turn that Avalanche. I don't remember hitting the seat, but I do remember trying to put my seatbelt on. I reached for it, but thought it was so different trying to put it on in that vehicle. So I thought 'well it's OK because we were just going to Graham' because I was in the backseat."
During their accident, both Sims' said the care shown by the staff at Stephens Memorial Hospital was unbelievable.
"The care that the staff at our hospital was great. It's a shame that you hear so much negative about our hospital but they took such good care of us. I couldn't think of going anywhere else," Lin Sims said. "You can tell the staff out there have a heart for people and they care about their patients. I can't imagine not having that good of a facility like that in our town."
Bob Sims agreed.
"They took such good care of us," he said. "I will put them up against anyone. They were great. The took excellent care of us. They would come in and check on me at all times."
Both also talked about their respective Breckenridge and DPS communities that helped them during their stay in Fort Worth, as well as the Harris Hospital staff.
"You know, sometimes there are situations where 'thank you' just isn't enough. This is one of those times," Bob Sims said. "We are totally overwhelmed with the love and support shown by our community."
Lin Sims said the DPS community reached out to them as well, sometimes from people they have never met.
"The DPS community is a tight-knit group and the support they gave us while we were in Fort Worth is unreal," she said. "There were troopers and staff from all over...some we had never met before that came by to offer their support and help.
"It was unbelievable. We are very grateful."
Linda Sims lauded the Harris Methodist staff.
"They could tell the tight bond we had with our community and they took extra measures to accommodate us," she said. "That was so nice of them to realize that. They gave Bob a bigger room where he was able to have lots of visitors. We are so appreciative of that."
