Carpentersville officer on duty full time a year after horrific accident

The severe injuries Carpentersville police officer Jason Caudle suffered in an August 2008 accident would have ended the careers of some lesser officers, veteran cops say.

But a little more than a year after an accident that required metal rods and screws to repair his right leg, 23-year-old Caudle was hired as a full-time officer and is training at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

He will graduate from the Academy in December.

It has been a long and often painful journey from community service officer to the rank of police officer for the Elgin Community College graduate.

His tale of recovery involves willpower, dedication and family support.

In the early hours of Aug. 5, 2008, Caudle was setting emergency flares along the inside lane of Route 25 at Golfview Lane on Carpentersville's east side. A heavy storm the night before had knocked out power to traffic signals and streetlights.

An unlicensed 16-year-old Carpentersville girl driving a 2001 Pontiac Aztec south on Route 25 hit Caudle after disregarding stop signs that had replaced the stop light.

"I didn't see the car until the last second and I tried to jump out of the way," said Caudle, who had been on the job for eight months.

The car crushed the tibia and fibula in Caudle's right leg and broke his left ankle.

"Right after it happened, I didn't think about how I could have been killed," said Caudle, who recalled sitting in the middle of the street waiting for help, numb from the pain. "But looking back, there was a good chance it could have."

The 16-year-old driver pleaded guilty to driving without a license and a stop sign violation. The girl's mother, Brigida Francisco-Pacheco, pleaded guilty to permitting an unauthorized person to drive.

Police said the girl was driving with her mother and three other passengers. Although the teen possessed a learner's permit, it was invalid because the adults in the car were unlicensed.

Caudle spent a week in hospital and another three months in a hospital bed in his parent's Algonquin living room. He needed a wheelchair and endured hours of physical therapy to regain strength in his legs. He had to learn to walk again. Doctors told Caudle there was a chance he would never run - an impairment that could potentially end his law enforcement career.

"I was really discouraged for a while because all I have ever wanted to be is a police officer, and if I couldn't run I wouldn't be able to pass the test," Caudle said. "But it did make me more determined."

Officers are required to run 1.5 miles in 131/2 minutes. Caudle completed the distance in about 11 minutes.

For two hours a day, four days a week for six months, Caudle underwent extensive physical therapy that included stretching, resistance training and treadmill workouts.

"It was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life," Caudle said.

His recovery, and performance at the academy, is impressive, said Douglas Giertz, a class supervisor.

"We do physical training three days a week and Jason is right up there with everybody," Giertz said. Physical training includes weight training, calisthenics and cardiovascular conditioning. "His injuries haven't slowed him down one bit. My hat goes off to him. He's got drive and passion."

Without that positive attitude, Caudle might not have recovered as quickly - or at all, Carpentersville Cmdr. Tim Bosshart said.

"I am impressed with how quickly he came back," Bosshart said. "For some other guys, this would have been career-ending. But Jason has always been a hard worker and he takes the job seriously. That's refreshing to see in a young guy. He doesn't think he is owed anything."

Caudle said he owes much of his speedy recovery to his parents, Pat and Chuck Caudle, as well as his younger brother, Kyle. Both parents watched Caudle take the police officer oath at last week's village board meeting.

"He was very determined and focused on becoming a police officer," his mom said. "He's got that drive and really wanted to get back to work."