How one officer turned his tragedy into an opportunity to protect his colleagues.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – Richard Mazzio flew through the air 25 feet, suffered multiple serious injuries and spent nearly a year in rehabilitation after a vehicle blindsided him while he worked a traffic crash.
What likely would’ve led many people to consider retirement only motivated Mazzio, a Port St. Lucie police officer with 20+ years of experience, to fight through the grueling recovery process so he could return to the beat.
But he knew when he returned he was going to do whatever it took to improve his – and all his fellow officers – safety. While in his hospital bed, he had one wish: That somehow, regardless of what it takes, all Port St. Lucie police would be equipped with a Guardian Angel wearable safety light – something he’d been researching prior to him being hit.
That dream came true when Guardian Angel and the Spirit of Blue Foundation heard of his request. More than 200 lights were provided to the department and today help keep Mazzio and his colleagues safe on the road.
“It’s definitely an eye opener that traffic accidents do harm more officers than anything else,” Mazzio said. “… The name fits what it is. It’s definitely a guardian – a Guardian Angel.”
