PALM HARBOR, Fla. — A Palm Harbor Fire Rescue firefighter is heading home after being struck by a pickup truck during a call earlier this month.
Lt. Ashley White, who spent time in the ICU and had several surgeries, was greeted by cheers and signs as she was wheeled out of Bayfront Hospital.
A smile on her face, the 38-year-old wore a firefighter helmet and had what appeared to be a cast on her leg.
Fire Rescue trucks and an ambulance were also present for White's discharge.
"We're talking months and years [for recovery], not days and weeks," Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Chief Scott Sanford explained of her recovery process.
White was responding to a crash just after 3 a.m. on Sept. 22 at U.S. 19 and Innisbrook Drive when a pickup truck slammed into two fire trucks and then hit her. The truck then hit a fire hydrant before coming to a stop.
The driver of the truck was also rushed to the hospital where he died.
Sanford says White took every safety precaution when the pickup truck hit her, noting that White is an exemplary firefighter.
There is currently a GoFundMe to help the 38-year-old firefighter's family pay for expenses. Sanford says her husband is a Clearwater firefighter.
Donations will also be accepted at Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Station 65.