Postal worker back to work after accident
Exactly one month after being seriously injured in an accident in downtown Lawrence, Jerry Totten has returned to work. Enlarge video
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will keep the postman from his appointed rounds.
You can add "serious head injuries" to the list after Jerry Totten returned to his downtown route Thursday, a month after being struck by a pickup while delivering mail.
Totten, Lawrence's sole walking-only postal worker, wore a helmet on his first day back.
"This is just today for a joke," he said. "I've got the helmet the guys made me, the warning vest, the air horn just in case somebody comes close to me in the crosswalk."
Totten was injured in a Feb. 1 accident at Seventh and New Hampshire streets and taken by helicopter to Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., where he was in serious condition. Doctors told him it would take three months to recover.
"I said one month," Totten said.
Since the accident, Totten said, he uses more caution.
Mostly, however, he was grateful to return - even if the weather was less than pleasant.
"It's a great day. Yesterday was a greater day, because it was 70 degrees," Totten said. "But it's a great day to be back down here."
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Gootsie (anonymous) says…
Way to go Jerry! Your wife said you were hard-headed, and she was right!
I'm so happy for you both.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
Welcome back!
imagold (anonymous) says…
Such good news. Bless your heart.
cavtrooper (anonymous) says…
Hooo-AAA!
Can't keep a good man down!
trinity (anonymous) says…
this is a really cool deal! am happy for ya jerry, and all the people you deliver to.
sourpuss (anonymous) says…
This made my day. It is nice to have a smile in the morning. I am so happy for his recovery (and I think that air horn is a great idea!)
lawrencechick (anonymous) says…
Wow...there's someone who could have stayed home on disability, but he's right back on the job. Admirable!
unklemonkey (anonymous) says…
Good to have you back, Jerry.
samsnewplace (anonymous) says…
Welcome back! What a great story, i'm so glad you made such a fast recovery. It is great to read about something good for a change!
cog_nate (Nate Poell) says…
Hardcore, man. Glad you're back on the job.
News_to_me (anonymous) says…
Welcome back to a member of the Postal Service's Olympic bobsled team. Nice helmet!
Lynn731 (anonymous) says…
What kind of an idiot would not see & hit a mailman? Thank you, Lynn
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
It's all that walking. I bet it kept him healthy and strong. Glad to hear he's back.
bytheway (anonymous) says…
That is wonderful news. What a crappy incident. Was the person on Crack when they hit him???
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Hey--we were driving south on Iowa (between 23rd and 25th), at roughly 2:45 p.m. Friday in the right lane and passed a bad situation in the left lane--someone had hit a woman on a bicycle. We didn't stop as several people already had and the victim was being assisted. No emergency vehicles had yet arrived. The woman was conscious and didn't appear too badly hurt (from what I could assess as we passed), but the bike looked mangled.
I thought maybe there would be some report of this on the LJW site tonight, but I don't see anything. Anybody know what happened--how the woman is? I don't know whether some one rear-ended her as she was riding south or whether she was trying to cross (west to east) in the middle of the block, or what...The bike appeared to be lying crosswise in the road, not that that tells you anything. Hope she is okay.
groovygrape (anonymous) says…
was the driver ever cited??????