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Murray • Utah Highway Patrol trooper Devyn Gurney recalled debris flying through the air, and the patrol car lurching suddenly in his direction.
After that, the 27-year-old officer said there's a blank spot in his memory.
"I was looking up at the sky, on my back," he said. "People were already around me, so I think I was out for a little bit."
On the morning of March 8, a drowsy driver apparently veered across several lanes of Interstate 15 near Lindon, slamming his SUV into Gurney's patrol car during a routine traffic stop. Gurney and his wife, Summer, recounted the incident and the trooper's recovery at a Thursday news conference in Murray.
Gurney, a trooper for three years, said the driver he had stopped had pulled to the left emergency lane of southbound I-15, rather than the preferred right shoulder.
"I was speaking with the driver, gathering documents, explaining the reason for the stop," Gurney said. He was walking back to his patrol vehicle, and then —
"I had enough time to know something hit my car. But nothing else."
A teary Summer said she was at her job teaching preschool that morning, when a sergeant she knew showed up at her classroom. "I know what that means," she thought to herself — bad news.
But the sergeant assured her Gurney was OK, that he was at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. As Summer raced to the hospital with the sergeant, one of Gurney's colleagues held a phone up to his ear: "Why did you have to be so stupid?" were Summer's first words.
"It made me smile," Gurney recalled. "I know my wife."
The worst injuries were to Gurney's legs. He suffered a broken fibula behind his right knee, and bone bruises. He also had a mild concussion.
Gurney's first therapy session was Thursday morning, an encouraging experience, he said. But the doctor tells him it might still be six months before he's back to full strength, and able to conduct all his normal work duties. For now, he's resting at home. He said he feels "very blessed."
Gurney wasn't the only one injured: The SUV driver, a 48-year-old Orem man, suffered a leg fracture, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office. The SUV driver and a passenger told investigators he had apparently fallen asleep behind the wheel.
The trooper said the incident is a good reminder to always take your time and pull to the right shoulder, not the emergency lane. He said it's also a reminder to slow down and move over when you see a trooper parked on the side of the road — and to be wary of driving when drowsy.
Gurney said the crash hasn't discouraged him: He's ready to get back to work.
"I love my job, being able to serve other people," he said. "And I go every day, not knowing what's going to happen, but knowing I can make a real difference."
Twitter: @lramseth