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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – On Sunday, Oct. 29, it was announced via Facebook that Officer Elizabeth Minter had taken her first steps in the months since her accident.

“The last several months have been a challenge, to say the least, but many blessings have come from it,” Minter said. “I have had more surgeries replacing all the ligaments in my left leg, and I will have more surgeries ahead of me addressing other issues.”

More than three months ago, Minter was still in her training phase with the Pelham Police Department when she was injured in the line of duty.

There had been a car crash involving a drunk driver up on the southbound lane of I-65 near exit 242, known as the tank farm exit. Minter and two fellow officers were dispatched to help direct traffic in the area.

That’s when a second drunk driver, going approximately 80 miles per hour, hit Officer Minter.   

“Her gear was thrown across six lanes of traffic; she was knocked out of her boots from the point where she was struck,” Pelham Police Chief Brent Sugg said.

Minter was seriously injured and was quickly transferred to UAB for immediate medical attention. 

Having suffered severe injuries from the accident, Minter received numerous surgeries and has been wheelchair-bound for the past several months following the accident.

“Through all of this, I have gained even more appreciation for the time I have with the people I love,” Minter said.

In her Facebook post, Minter expressed gratitude to the surgeons, physical therapists and her community for the support they have provided her on the road to recovery. 

“I’m extremely thankful for the other first responders on scene that terrible night,” Minter said. “I still am in awe of my family, friends, brothers and sisters in blue, church family, community, volunteers and neighbors who have stepped in to help me, my kids and my fiance through this process.”

The Pelham Police Department shared a video over social media of Minter taking her first steps since the accident. Minter uses a walker as she takes each step forward, and in the video, she can be heard commenting on how her legs feel shaky when she first begins using them again. However, a smile spreads across her face as Minter continues to put one foot in front of the other and continues to move forward.

“While I still don’t remember everything that night, there have been huge steps on this long road to recovery,” Minter said. “I’m thankful to God for preserving my life that night so that I can continue to be with my family and hopefully make a difference in my community.”