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Police chief recovering

Staff filling in while Hupp is on the mend from wreck

Marietta Police Capt. Aaron Nedeff discusses Saturday’s half marathon route with Sgt. Rhett Walters on Friday at the Marietta Police Department. HANNAH KITTLE The Marietta Times

It’s been almost a month since Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp, 51, of Marietta, was involved in a serious on-duty car accident and the chief says he’s recovering, while day-to-day operations at the police department go on without him.

“I can say with absolute honesty — and it’s not a cliche — that every day I’m a little bit better and that the long-term outlook is for complete recovery, but it is a slow process,” said Hupp. “No one is able to give me a time line, but I am actively involved with physical therapy right now.”

Hupp suffered from injuries including a broken femur, neck fractures, a broken nose and eye socket and a small brain bleed.

Currently, he gets around by way of a walker and a wheelchair. Hupp noted that the doctors have been pleasantly surprised at the speed of his recovery.

“Each injury, while it certainly can be regarded as serious, could have been so much worse,” he explained. “The doctors that I have gone back and consulted with are extremely impressed with the speediness of my recovery.”

According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety Traffic Crash Report, on Sept. 1 at 9:46 p.m., Caleb G. Riggs, 21, of 240 Hillcrest Drive, Marietta, was westbound on Pike Street while Hupp was heading eastbound in an unmarked city police vehicle, a 2005 Toyota Tacoma, without sirens or lights.

Hupp crashed into Riggs when Riggs failed to yield when turning left onto Wayne Street.

Hupp went on-duty after leaving a city council meeting at 9:30 p.m. to respond to a situation involving a man drunkenly brandishing a weapon in the Las Trancas at the Lafayette Shopping Center. The man was later arrested without incident by other officers.

All parties were taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital. Hupp was then transfered to Grant Medical Center in Columbus to receive treatment for his injuries.

Riggs was cited for failing to yield while turning left. In his car were three passengers — Ashley Riggs, 20, Jordan Sanford, 19, and Lexie Johnson, 19, all of Marietta. Hupp’s posted speed was 35 miles per hour, according to the crash report.

According to Marietta Police Capt. Aaron Nedeff, the department is working hard to cover Hupp’s responsibilities so that he can focus completely on recovering.

“Knock on wood, we’re surviving pretty well, but it has been pretty difficult taking on both roles as a captain and chief,” said Nedeff. “Essentially, we are not bothering (Hupp) with any problems; we’re trying to let him focus on his recovery.”

Nedeff noted that everybody has been working together well and that he is proud of how the department is carrying on.

“We’re used to this, but everybody has just been covering and filling holes here and there,” he said. “They are all more than qualified to be sergeants, so I don’t have to stay on top of them.”

Nedeff added that he is looking forward to Hupp coming back fully recovered.

“It’s been eye-opening to me to be able to see all that actually he does and how that differs and compares to what I do; there is stuff that he just takes care of that I had no idea about,” said Nedeff. “I’m sure when he gets back, he’s going to be 100 percent.”

Hupp said that he is thankful for the department and feels that they will continue to do a stellar job in his absence.

“The new (Marietta Police) Captain Nedeff is doing a remarkable job,” said Hupp. “When you’re in a position like I’m in, you feel a responsibility to the people in the department; it bothers me that I’m not there to fill that role right now.”

Still, Hupp noted that he doesn’t have to worry about the Marietta Police Department because the people working there are fully capable of keeping the office running.

“I have every confidence in the world that the new captain and the sergeants will keep things running,” began Hupp. “And the men and women who answer the calls on the street to keep business as usual — I know they are fully capable of it.”

Hupp said that not only has the department been extremely helpful in his recovery through their support and maintaining his peace of mind about the department running in his absence, the community has played a huge role in keeping his spirits high throughout his recovery.

“The phone calls, the visits, the cards, the postings and requests for prayers on social media…it has been absolutely overwhelming,” said Hupp. “I am truly humbled by it — I really have been; it’s not something that you consider as you go through your day-to-day life, and when something like this happens, it felt like the community was right behind me and it was a really incredible feeling and it continues to be.”

Nedeff also said just how much the community has been responding to the accident.

“I am frequently asked how the chief is doing,” he said. “He’s gotten lots of cards sent in here to the police department and we deliver them to him.”

Hupp will be going to therapy three times a week, but remains positive about his progress.

“This whole business has really been an opportunity for me to learn and grow, also — I really mean that,” he said. “It’s unfortunate to go through something like this, but there are absolutely lessons to take away from any situation like this and I’m doing my best to appreciate all of them.”

At a glance

¯ At 9:46 p.m. on Sept. 1, Caleb G. Riggs, 21, of 240 Hillcrest Drive, Marietta, was westbound on Pike Street while Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp, 51, of Marietta, was heading eastbound.

¯  Riggs failed to yield when turning left onto Wayne Street.

¯ Hupp went on-duty after leaving a city council meeting at 9:30 p.m. in an unmarked city police vehicle to respond to a situation involving a man drunkenly brandishing a weapon in the Las Trancas at the Lafayette Shopping Center.

¯ There were not any sirens or lights used on the vehicle when the crash occurred.

¯ Riggs was cited for failing to yield while turning left.

¯ In Riggs’s car were three passengers — Ashley Riggs, 20, Jordan Sanford, 19, and Lexie Johnson, 19, all of Marietta.

¯ All parties were taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital.

¯ Hupp was then transferred to Grant Medical Center in Columbus to receive treatment for his injuries consisting of a broken leg and a broken neck from the accident.

Source: Ohio Department of Public Safety Traffic Crash Report.

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