Allison Armstrong, Toledo Fire and Rescue Chief, is back home in Ohio after a hit-and-run crash in Colorado injured her. She faces a long recovery with a fractured sternum, fractured back and other injuries from the collision.
The crash happened Friday, Sept. 18, while Armstrong was in Colorado for the 40th Annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, according to a statement from TFRD.
She was traveling 65 mph on a highway when another driver hit her SUV and pushed it into a concrete barrier wall, Armstrong said in a social media post Sunday. The at-fault driver allegedly took off from the scene and was later arrested.
Armstrong also suffered whiplash, contusions, swelling and pain surrounding the seat belt line, she said Sunday.
“I’m getting a little better each day. Things that normally wouldn’t seem like much feel like pretty big accomplishments right now, so I’m choosing to celebrate the small wins,” Armstrong wrote. “I know recovery won’t happen overnight and there will be hard days ahead. But today I’m home, surrounded by the people I love, and moving in the right direction.”
In a Tuesday post, Armstrong said she returned home to Ohio the previous night.
She thanked her husband, the president and members of Local 92, and the firefighters in Colorado who helped her in the aftermath of the crash.
Armstrong also thanked the Aurora fire and police departments for their response to the crash.
“Thank God for air bags. Thank God for seatbelts. Thank God my vehicle didn’t flip. Thank God everybody behind me was able to stop or move into another lane without also striking me,” Armstrong said on social media. “I have a lot of injuries from this accident but am truly grateful it wasn’t worse and no one else was hurt.”
She described Sunday as a “terribly rough” day because of additional swelling.
The IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial is a memorial service for firefighters. The event in Colorado is held annually to honor those who died in the line of duty.
Armstrong ended one post by writing, “Thank God it wasn’t worse. Thanks to everyone that has helped me and reached out. It will be a difficult few weeks or months.”
