By Joanna Putman
Police1
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Two Hillsborough County deputies, still recovering from serious injuries sustained a year ago when they were rammed by a car, spoke with WFLA in an interview detailing their recovery journeys and future plans.
Deputy Manny Santos and Cpl. Carlos Brito sustained their injuries during a Nov. 9, 2023, incident where they were struck by a car driven by a man in a mental health crisis, according to the report. The two responded to a 911 call involving a 28-year-old suspect, who attempted to flee before aiming his vehicle at the deputies.
“Everything that happened that day, not a lot of thinking happened,” Santos told WFLA. “It was a lot of training that went into play.”
Brito recalled waking up in the hospital days after the accident and being encouraged by the sight of his children. He had sustained severe leg injuries, requiring 12 surgeries, according to the report.
“From not moving my leg to being able to go from wheelchair to crutches to using a cane and walking a little bit, I’d say I’m doing OK,” he told WFLA.
Brito said he is steadily working through recovery and hopes to rejoin the department eventually.
“There is hesitation. If something dramatic like that happened to you, of course, you think twice…I want to come back,” Brito told WFLA. “My goal is to come back and that’s what I’ve been working on for the last couple of months…To say that I’m going to jump back into patrol, I would be lying to you.”
Santos also suffered a severe injury to his knee, according to the report.
“Pretty much my knee kind of exploded in a way,” he told WFLA.
Santos said he immediately started training to return to the force.
“I would still go home and train some more and figure out other ways, put my tact vest on, throw myself on the ground, try to get back up to see how it feels, see how my knee bends,” he said.
He has since returned to duty, according to the report.
“I was pretty proud to say that I’m a deputy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office,” Santos told WFLA. “Would I do it again? Would I come back out onto the road and be a deputy and continue on in my career? I mean, you can see how I’m dressed now. I clearly chose to stay.”
Both deputies emphasized the importance of their training and resilience throughout their recoveries, with Santos noting his dedication to returning to the field and Brito taking his recovery day by day as he considers rejoining patrol.
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