NEW ROADS - Six months ago, Pointe Coupee Parish Deputy Robert Williams was seriously injured in the line of duty. Doctors warned it could take a year before he might return to work. Now he’s back, on the job and on his feet.

A lot has changed since WBRZ last saw him in April, when he was still in the hospital; now he’s walking again.

“Since we last talked, we’ve been going to therapy in Baton Rouge, and those therapists have really been a blessing and a help to me in my recovery,” Williams said. “I’m back at work. I’m happy to be back at work.” 

Williams was hit by an oncoming vehicle while directing traffic outside a fire scene in Livonia in March. He suffered two broken legs, a shattered shoulder and underwent five surgeries. Back in April, doctors told him it could be a year before he’d even think about returning to work.

“To tell you the truth, I would have never thought that this man would be walking again and getting back in the unit,” Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux said.

“The doctors are amazed,” Williams said. “They didn’t anticipate me to start walking again until December or January, and here I am back at work.”

He still goes to physical therapy three times a week, working to get stronger every day, and smiling through it all.

“I’m about 90 percent. We’re still doing therapy. I actually enjoy going. It’s good,” Williams said.

The last six months haven’t just been physically challenging. Williams said they’ve also been mentally tough, as he prepared to put the uniform back on.

“You know, I love enforcing traffic, and since the incident happened during traffic, it’s just a mental thing,” he said. “Am I still able to conduct traffic? Am I still able to do the role I was doing before the accident?”

Today, Williams is back on traffic details at parish schools, helping keep students safe. Sheriff Thibodeaux said having him return so soon is nothing short of a miracle.

“That’s a testament to what the good Lord Almighty can do,” Thibodeaux said. “If you witnessed this accident, or if you saw the footage, it’s absolutely a miracle that he’s alive, number one, and number two, that he’s walking and able to come back to work doing what he loves.”

Williams says he’s grateful for the support from his family, community, and fellow deputies. While his recovery isn’t finished yet, he’s proud to be back serving the parish he calls home.