We Talked to Trooper Johnson, Now Home in Montana

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Lewis Johnson is now back home in Chester, Montana, and we had the honor of catching up with him and his wife Kate on the radio Monday.

Trooper Johnson was critically injured back in February after a criminal suspect ran him over with a vehicle during a pursuit. Trooper Johnson received initial care at Logan Health in Kalispell, before receiving a hero's send off for additional care in Colorado.

We first wanted to hear how it feels to be back home on the Hi Line.

Trooper Lewis Johnson: It's great to be back back in Montana. It's a really special place...Colorado healed my body, and now I'm back up here healing my soul and my heart with my family, so it's great to be home.

A couple of things that amazed me about Trooper Johnson's story from the beginning was the fact that the Sheriff's Deputy who saved his life on the scene 8 months ago is a friend of his who also served with him in the National Guard. Trooper Lewis Johnson's wife Kate is also a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper who knows the sacrifice of law enforcement families both as a spouse and a trooper herself.

I asked Lewis how his 3 year old son reacted to his dad's injuries.

Did he comprehend what took place? Lewis decided to pass the phone off to his wife Kate.

Trooper Kate Johnson: He  (their son Ryder) understood early on that dad has an owwie. He wasn't able to wrestle and climb with dad like he used to....He was part of therapy with dad every day from eight to five. And at night he would climb up on dad's hospital bed and snuggle in and they would watch episodes of Bluey together while building Legos that that people had sent us, or coloring. And that became our routine for months. I think it was good for both Ryder and Lewis to spend that time together bonding again and relearning how to play and be silly and just have a good father son relationship again.

She also shared a great story about how the hospital in Craig, Colorado allowed Ryder to ride his bike around the hospital.

Trooper Kate Johnson: There was three other little boys on that same floor, and so at night- when the core staff had left- they would ride laps around the fourth floor west wing of Craig Hospital. And the dads- the three dads were all in power wheelchairs at the time so they would race the sons.

 

Full audio of our chat with Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Lewis Johnson:

Part 1

Part 2