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Officer Talks About Accident

By Debbie Williams

Published: Thu, July 19, 2007 - 8:07 am

When Charles Rogers was in college all he wanted to be was a police officer. For the last three years he's been patrolling the streets of Mobile but that career almost came to a tragic end at the hands of a drunk driver. Five months after the crash he is back on the job and on a mission.

Officer Charles Rogers is back on the job which is pretty remarkable considering just a few months ago he was in the hospital recovering from a horrific crash. "I sat in my patrol car pulled out a wreck report and may have gotten the first word written down and a loud crash, loud bang glass shattering and propelled forward."

The police cruiser was totaled, the back crushed into the front seat. It amazes everyone he survived. For Rogers being a police officer means one thing a patrol car out on the the streets and although he's been back on the jobs a few months now he's not doing what he loves to do. "It's profoundly different," he says, "I just do light duty stuff which is basically taking reports over the phone."

"It could have been a lot worse than it was." But for Rogers wife Amber, it was bad enough and she's mad. She and her husband have started a campaign targeting drunk drivers. Especially when crashes involve police officers, firemen or paramedics.  "I started writing every government official all the way to the White House anyone I could get to listen," she says.

She's gotten one response. It was from Governor Riley's office. "I was ecstatic that they had taken the time to write me a letter until I opened the letter and they were apologizing for the loss of my husband and mourning my loss they didn't even take the time to read the letter."

They continue to try and change the laws while Rogers continues physical therapy to get back to his old self. "Sitting around taking reports isn't what I went to college for I went to the academy for," he says.

The man accused of hitting officer Rogers' patrol car is 20 year old Bradley Dronet.  Police say the Ocean Springs native failed a breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol content reportedly was .12, .08 is the legal limit.

But since Dronet is not 21, it's illegal for him to drink alcohol.  He's charged with driving under the influence and first degree assault. Dronet is still awaiting trial.