Firefighter shares story after being hit, seriously injured by truck

By Blake Keller and Hannah Mose

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    MONITOR TWP., Michigan (WNEM) — A Monitor Township firefighter is back home after being hit by a truck, thrown several feet, and badly injured while trying to help a stranded driver on US-10.

Firefighter Jeff Sargeson said he’s lucky he’s able to share his story.

Sargeson’s work pager doesn’t have a scratch on it. Based on that, you never would’ve guessed he was involved in a hit-and-run on New Year’s Day.

“Minor scene that just turned into a mess,” Sargeson said.

Instead, he wears the wounds: a broken leg, a brain bleed, and more.

“I have multiple broken ribs and that feels like — from my neck down to my waist — that someone is laying on me and won’t get off. It’s a terrible, terrible pain,” he said.

With nothing but time, he’s putting pieces of that night together.

“Did what we do and stop,” he said.

He was helping several drivers who got stuck in the slush on the highway.

“Make sure everybody was OK,” he said.

There were a few injuries, so Sargeson called for an ambulance.

“As I was walking the way to my truck, I looked to the left and there was a truck spinning and I knew I didn’t have any options. I was going to get run over by this vehicle,” he recounted.

He said it all went blurry.

“I don’t remember a thing,” he said.

This self-proclaimed busybody is now confined to his house with his sweet black lab Koby.

“Nope, can’t leave the house, can’t drive. The pain is very consistent throughout my body, I get dizzy spells,” he said.

Even with the pain, he is looking to the silver lining.

“At least I can feel the pain versus the alternative,” he said.

Sargeson never expected to get well over a dozen “get well soon” cards, and some are from people he doesn’t even know. It’s his motivator to keep going.

“Get back to the day I can clip my pager back on my side and start doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that’s helping fellow citizens,” he said.

Sargeson is also a substitute teacher for Bay City Public Schools. His co-workers there set up a GoFundMe to help with his bills.

A spaghetti fundraiser dinner is also planned for Feb. 4 at Monitor Township Hall.

State police said a man turned himself in for hitting Sargeson. A police report is still underway.

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