'Now he can come home.' Suffolk officer seriously injured by alleged drunk driver released from rehab

It was a big day on the road to recovery for a Suffolk police officer nearly killed in the line of duty by an alleged drunk driver.

Officer Tim Thrane has been at St. Charles Rehabilitation Center for a week and was discharged Thursday

Thrane has been at the center for less than a week after receiving physical therapy and treatment as part of his recovery from severe injuries he sustained while on duty.

In early November, the 35-year-old suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain after police say William Petersohn, 38, drove drunk and barreled into an accident scene.

He was in a coma for three weeks.

"When I woke up not that long ago, I couldn't even get out of bed," Thrane says. "I made little improvements, taking the stairs. I wanted to be well enough to go home."

One of the therapists at St. Charles Hospital, Lindsay Aponte, says they did strength training, balance training, and then worked to get his confidence back so he could walk without a walker or cane.

Police say Thrane was handling traffic control at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Yaphank Woods Boulevard when he was struck by Petersohn's truck.

Thrane has worked at the 7th Precinct for three years and has a wife and three kids.

It was complete jubilation for his family as he prepared to return to them.

"He was not awake a week and a half ago and now he can come home," says his wife, Janelle Thrane. "It's a miracle...I wouldn't have expected anything less because of how strong he is."

Thrane will continue therapy on an outpatient basis.