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Massachusetts State Police Lt. hit by motorcycle transferred to rehab, hopes to return to work

A motorcade of police motorcycles, cruisers, and an ambulance made its way into Spaulding Rehab in Cambridge on Tuesday afternoon with some fanfare for one Massachusetts State Police Lieutenant.

Inside the ambulance was Lt. Donald Bossi, the state police trooper who on June 23 was hit by a motorcycle right outside the Revere Beach police barracks, and sent flying 40 feet.

The trooper's condition has been touch-and-go, with organ issues, broken bones, and more. He has been in the ICU at Mass General Hospital since late June.

Prosecutors have described his survival as a miracle. The motorcycle had allegedly been stolen and driven by 18-year-old Akram El Moukhtari, who is facing charges in connection with the incident.

Lt. Bossi was brought out of the ambulance on a stretcher and was flanked by colleagues who greeted him with warm handshakes. He thanked them all for their support.

3 to 8 weeks of recovery ahead

"I'm just lucky to be alive," he told reporters as he was wheeled into the rehab center. "And my goal is to get back to work by next summer — maybe sooner." 

The staff at Spaulding shares that goal and said that a full recovery is possible. The Cambridge location of the rehabilitation center deals with more long-term, complex recoveries like Bossi's.

"He's very motivated, so you know it could be anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks, depending on what he needs… But he will be here until he's able to fully recover, and go home," said Joanne Fucile, the Associate Chief Nurse at the rehab center.

Bossi will undergo intensive therapy, with up to three hours per day of occupational and physical therapy. Fucile says his go-getter attitude is already a step in the right direction towards success.

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