Paralyzed NC state trooper makes long-awaited return home in time for the holidays
CRAMERTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- For the first time in nearly two-and-a-half years, a North Carolina state trooper who was paralyzed in a motorcycle crash, will get to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with his family in Gaston County.
Chris Wooten has been at a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta since July 2019.
It was then that Wooten was chasing a suspect in Mecklenburg County when his motorcycle was hit by a truck.
He fought to survive and regain his independence. Wooten now gets around using a wheelchair he controls with a straw.
Wooten and his wife, Sharon, left Atlanta on Tuesday morning with an escort of troopers from Georgia and North Carolina to lead the couple home for the holidays.
Before getting to their home in Cramerton, Wooten stopped and got out of his van to greet dozens of troopers lined up at a rest stop on I-85 near Kings Mountain.
"A lot of times you wonder why this happened," Chris said. "For all the people we've met, they've just been so good to us. (It) makes you wonder maybe that's why. It has really made us humble and thankful for all the support."
