Three weeks after he was seriously injured chasing a speeder on Interstate 275, Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Paul “PJ” Reinert on Thursday was moved from University Hospital to Drake Center in Hartwell to begin rehabilitation.

        His colleagues and family fear his recovery will be a long process.

The Reinert family: Deputy Paul Reinert, his wife Deana, children Adam, 8 (rear) and six year old twins Austin and Alexandra. (Family photo) | ZOOM |

        Co-workers say Deputy Reinert, a father of three, can open his eyes and respond to conversation by hand-squeezing, blinks and small gestures. His color has returned, and cuts from the accident are healing.

        “I've been through this many times, but not as closely as this one's affected me,” said Sheriff Simon Leis. “When somebody like that gets hurt, it's like losing a family member. I have to admit I shed a few tears up at that hospital. ... And I get emotional right now talking about it.”

        Deputies continue to search for the driver of a red Pontiac Firebird that Deputy Reinert spotted going nearly 100 mph Sept. 3 in Colerain Township. He gave chase, but crashed less than two minutes later.

        Officials have said the deputy was following policy when he crashed, and the sheriff said there will be no changes in the way vehicle pursuits are conducted because of this accident.

        Tips continue to come in on the identity of the driver.

An emotional Sheriff Simon Leis talks the accident that seriously injured Deputy Paul Reinert.

        “We appreciate every lead we get, even if it's a dead end,” said Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Butler, Deputy Reinert's supervisor. “Somebody knows something, and it's just going to take that one call that's going to help us with this case.”

        Sheriff Leis recalled seeing Deputy Reinert's wife, Deana, at the hospital after the accident. The sheriff said it's the first time a deputy has been hurt this badly in the line of duty since he was appointed sheriff in 1987.

        “I remember when I first went to the hospital, when he was in intensive care in the emergency room. (His) wife arrived, and I didn't know whether he was going to live or die,” Sheriff Leis said. “And she didn't know it.

        “Nobody had talked to her.”

        Through friends, Mrs. Reinert declined to be interviewed for this story.

        The sheriff spoke in a quiet voice when talking about his deputy. He paused at times, and tears occasionally welled up in his eyes.

        Public support in the wake of the crash has been uplifting, officials say. People have stopped by patrol headquarters with money, cards and food. They ask how the deputy is doing.

        But while their hearts are with their injured friend, deputies still have laws to enforce, patrols to run and cases to investigate. The sheriff likes to lead by example.

        “You continue to do your job,” he said. “You have to continue to function because you've got responsibilities to the community, and everybody on the department recognizes that. I think everybody, when they come into this line of work, recognizes the fact that it has risk.”

        That risk is well known in the sheriff's traffic safety unit, a group of eight deputies who investigate serious and fatal traffic crashes. Deputy Reinert was promoted to the unit in January.

        A stack of photos of the accident sits on Sgt. Butler's desk. And one of the officers keeps a single picture of the deputy's demolished cruiser nearby as a reminder. Officers are further reminded of the crash by the thick file containing documents from the investigation.

        “You still see PJ there,” Sgt. Butler said. “You keep reliving it every day. It's just a reminder every day we open that file up and work on it some more.”

        “The first few days, it's shock — upsetting,” colleague Cpl. Troy Smith said. “Now, we're getting kind of angry. It's selfish and senseless and cowardly.”

        The deputies have gone to the hospital every day to visit. Deputy Reinert was in a drug-induced coma until last week. The visits are therapeutic for colleagues.

        “It's not only good for us, but we're trying to give support to Deana as much as we can,” Sgt. Butler said. “Just because it's three weeks, we're not fading away. Even if we just stand in the background and she knows we're there.”

        The accident has brought them closer together.

        “It puts things in perspective and makes me realize what's important in life,” Cpl. Smith said. “I think we've been very hopeful, and we've definitely learned a lot more about each other because we can lean on one another.”

        However long it takes, they want Deputy Reinert back.

        “If it's going to take us going to therapy with him to help him walk, I'm sure these guys would drop everything and do that,” Sgt. Butler said.

        “We tell him when we go down there. I've told him numerous times: "Your desk is waiting for you. Your brand-new (cruiser) is sitting there, and it ain't going to be moved until you get out of bed and get back to work.' ”

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