Naples Daily News
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — He’s a living, breathing reminder of the dangers law officers face every day.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Cpl. Bill Pschigoda, 44, nearly lost his life in 2006 when he was run down by a 21-year-old gang member while attempting to stop a suspect fleeing during a chase.
A year and a half later, Pschigoda returned to duty and later was dragged two blocks by a 17-year-old in a green Cadillac after responding to a home burglary, according to a report filed for the July 27, 2009 incident.
Pschigoda returned to the force once again, and is feeling just as he did three years ago.
“I’m back to where I was before the first accident,” Pschigoda said. “My family supports me a lot, and even my mom still encourages me to go back to work, even though she knows the dangers.”
Following his recovery, Pschigoda made it a point to give back in new ways to the community that helped him through the struggle to recover from the first incident.
Trained to certify others in life-saving techniques such as CPR, Pschigoda, a former firefighter, has long been an asset for certifying other deputies.
Recently, he certified his boss, Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, who Pschigoda said helped him train others in the community on the skills that once saved his own life.
“He’s always told me that he likes to do that, to give back to the community,” Rambosk said. “That’s a terrific thing for anyone to do in their community, to give back what they know.”
Immediately after Pschigoda was struck in 2006, Rambosk said Pschigoda’s fellow deputies came to his aid with the techniques he teaches. Pschigoda uses the incident as a training tool, both for his co-workers and the community, as well as his 4-year-old daughter.
“She does remember me coming home injured, and she helped me a lot with my boo-boos - she called them,” Pschigoda said, adding it helps her understand the dangers of the roadway.
When asked if he felt it important to use his experiences as a way to remind others of the sacrifice officers make, Pschigoda said he sometimes feels guilty that he was somehow saved while other officers’ lives have been taken.
Pschigoda specifically noted Officer Andrew Widman, who was shot and killed in 2008 in downtown Fort Myers.
“I would just love the chance to sit down with his wife and family,” Pschigoda said.
As for the assailants, Pschigoda said he holds no hard feelings toward either of the individuals. The man accused of dragging him, Oscar Blanco-Rodriguez of Golden Gate, awaits court in January.
Now assigned to community policing, Pschigoda watches over community events and conducts road patrols. He said it’s the “best of both worlds.”
“I will be out in the community somewhere, and I’ll have someone come up, they saw my picture in the paper,” Pschigoda said. “I’m usually with a family member or someone, and they’ll be like ‘Who’s that?,’ and I’ll say ‘I honestly don’t know.’ I feel very lucky to be part of the community.”
Copyright 2009 Naples Daily News