The Suffolk County police officer seriously injured last month when a suspect in a stolen SUV slammed into his patrol car returned home Wednesday.

Officer Don Dillon stepped out of the police ambulance and found a warm welcome on his front lawn in Farmingdale.

His wife had told him to expect a few friends. What the self-described quiet guy saw was much larger than that.

"It's very overwhelming," he said of the reception. "But I couldn't be more grateful to my family, my friends and the police."

Dillon says he has a long recovery ahead, but he's happy to be home.

The stolen SUV slammed into Dillon's car head-on in West Babylon. The impact shattered his pelvis and broke his hip and femur, sending him to the hospital for weeks.