A police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, was released from the hospital Thursday, more than seven weeks after police believe a speeding teen driver crashed into him intentionally on Interstate 270. Both of his legs were amputated.
Sgt. Patrick Kepp wheeled himself out of The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland surrounded by dozens of applauding colleagues. Doctors, nurses and first responders lined the halls for a hero’s welcome. He smiled as he saw the crowd there to greet him and shared a hug with his surgeon.
"It's always a little harder when it's a police officer, because I feel the eyes of the world on me, but what we try to do is take care of him like we take care of everybody else," physician-in-chief Dr. Tom Scalea said. "We take care of everybody else that way because we think it's the best way."
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
Kepp was seriously injured early the morning of Oct. 18 as he tried to stop a driver who was clocked at 110 mph near the Clarksburg Premium Outlets.
Officers decided to put out stop sticks to force 19-year-old Raphael Mayorga to stop his green Dodge Challenger after they saw him repeatedly exiting and reentering I-270 and nearly running another car off the road, police said.
Mayorga changed lanes from the middle of I-270 to the far left, where Kepp was, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said at a news conference after the horrific crash.
“He intentionally struck Sgt. Kepp,” he said.
Without lifesaving efforts by first responders, Kepp would have died, Jones said.
Mayorga was well known to Kepp, who arrested him in May for driving 136 mph in a 55 mph zone on I-270. Mayorga also was arrested after high-speed chases twice before, in April 2021 and again this past April.
The police chief said officers knew the driver for speeding, doing doughnuts, running red lights and trying to “bait officers into chasing him, as if this is some type of video game.”
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
Mayorga, of Frederick, Maryland, was charged with attempted murder and could face up to life in prison if convicted.
Kepp will undergo physical rehab at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
"He's been incredibly strong," Scalea said. "He didn't dwell on it. He wanted to know, 'What I had to do to get well.'"
He has received several awards over the years for his work in getting dangerous drivers off the road.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
