Injured Nassau cop receives warm homecoming
Kenneth Baribault, the Nassau police officer nearly killed when a suspected drunken driver crashed into his patrol car during a traffic stop of another suspected drunken driver, returned yesterday afternoon to his parents' Nesconset home from a months-long stay at an out-of-state rehabilitation clinic.
Baribault, 30, was driven from the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J., where he had been flown in July for treatment of brain trauma, a shattered pelvis and other injuries.
The police union had planned to hold a public ceremony for the homecoming of Baribault, who had spent nearly five months in the rehabilitation center recovering from injuries sustained in May on the Long Island Expressway in Plainview.
The police union held a small ceremony on his parents' Nesconset block with police, union and county brass, as well as officers from Baribault's 2nd Precinct.
But Baribault isn't in any shape for a large event, his police union said: He still needs constant help to take care of everyday needs and still has a long road to recovery, much less full duty.
"He's done with the first phase of his rehabilitation," said Nassau Police Benevolent Association president Jim Carver. "He's still going to be doing rehab from his home.
"He's not even at the point where he can take care of himself. He still needs to have 24/7 assistance ... He's nowhere near being able to return to work."
The police union held a small ceremony on his parents' Nesconset block with police, union and county brass, as well as officers from Baribault's 2nd Precinct, the union said.
Through the union, the family said they did not want to comment.
"His family was very appreciative," Carver said of the reception. "He seemed very happy to be back home and be welcomed by all the guys" from the 2nd Precinct.
Meanwhile, the suspected drunken driver who hit Baribault's patrol car, Rahiem Griffin, has been charged with several felonies, including vehicular assault, and is awaiting trial.
Political outrage following the crash reverberated in Nassau County's halls of power, with County Executive Thomas Suozzi, District Attorney Kathleen Rice and Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey vowing to increase anti-drunken-driving patrols and to publicize the names and mug shots of everyone arrested in the county for drunken driving.
The mug shot effort, called the Wall of Shame, has since been curtailed in the wake of a judge's admonishment.
Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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