Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo could remain hospitalized “for a sustained period” after a serious bicycle crash Saturday in the Adirondacks, the city said in a press release.
The chief suffered a concussion, a broken collarbone, a broken right shoulder and road rash when he crashed on “a hill he has ridden many times” on Route 73 in Keene, N.Y., according to Katie Vane, a spokesperson for Mayor Miro Weinberger.
Del Pozo was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Saranac Lake, N.Y., before he was airlifted to the University of Vermont Medical Center. He remained in the intensive care unit, and doctors were “optimistic about a full recovery,” the release said. Deputy Police Chief Jan Wright will serve as acting chief while del Pozo is sidelined.
Weinberger has twice visited del Pozo in the hospital and has been in touch with his wife, Vane said on Monday.
“The mayor reported that he had a great conversation with the chief in his visit Sunday night, and left very optimistic that the chief was on the mend,” Vane said in a written message. “The chief is still in the ICU, although he is expected to be moved to a different section of the hospital relatively soon. We are not sure yet when he will be released from the hospital.”
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Get well Chief.
What kind of assholes are disliking the comment “Get well Chief”?
@BDE
He wasn’t even in Vermont. Rural Keene NY. No one else was involved in the accident.
This story has nothing to do with the streets in Burlington.
Talk about a one track mind.
While this accident is a rotten thing to happen to del Pozo, or anybody else for that matter I do have to ask why he was given a helicopter flight from Saranac hospital back to Burlington. Is it because the Saranac ICU is so bad or is it because of who he is and he got special treatment? Does everyone who has a concussion in the Adirondacks get a ride to Burlington in a chopper or only the fortunate ones?
I do wish del Pozo a speedy recovery and this is not anything personal against the Chief. But Burlington is becoming more economically segregated under Miro’s administration.
NorthOldEnder UVMMC is the Regional Level 1 trauma center so it is no surprise that he was airlifted to Burlington. Even in VT there is a protocol for patients being transported to UVMMC or DHMC and not to local hospitals. That decision is made by the medical personnel at the scene and the local hospital. Head trauma is nothing to wait on. Glad they did move him as it sounds like he is improving.
@BDE
“The incident does point out that cyclists have accidents in the ROAD. Troubling for both driver and cyclists”
No driver involved!
BDE: you give it up. It is you who is covering for the fact that you misunderstood the situation. Your 6/18, 4:43 pm comment clearly shows that you thought this accident occurred in Burlington.
I echo the wishes for Chief del Pozo to have a speedy and full recovery!
That being said, del Pozos solo crash did not involve any other vehicles, and occurred in the day time, in good weather, on dry pavement along a stretch of main highway that, according to a New York State Police spokesperson is much traversed by cyclists and is not a location where I would not say we have a lot of bicycle accidents.
One can only hope that those responsible for investigating the crash and for implementing BPDs un-biased policing initiatives had the good sense to draw an evidentiary blood sample to check the Chiefs BAC and to determine if he was under the influence of drugs (or possibly steroids frequently a go to cop favorite). Just like any other driver who careens off the road and totals their vehicle for no apparent reason. At least a piss test, nest pas?
FlipFlop glad to see the conspiracy theories are flying in your head. Have you ever had an accident with a bicycle? Should you have been tested for all kinds of things you imply?
The last time I had a bike accident it was daytime and I was in the gravel on the shoulder of the road and a cat jumped out of the grass in front of me. I ended up in a heap with lots of scrapes from the gravel. Following your logic I guess I should have had a blood test to see what my caffeine levels were as coffee and iced tea were what I had taken that day, along with some aspirin for a sore shoulder.