Heading into the new year, a Chisago County sergeant and his wife are warning Minnesotans about the dangers of drunk driving. 

Five years ago, an impaired driver crashed into Sgt. Kyle Puelston's squad car while he was conducting a traffic stop. He suffered a serious concussion, and the injury has changed his life in more ways than one. 

"We were doing extra enforcement that night, specifically looking for drunk drivers," he said. 

It was Dec. 4, 2020, and Kyle was sitting in his squad car on the side of the road, jotting notes after a traffic stop in North Branch. In a split second, his life changed forever. 

"A pick-up truck hit me at about… it felt really fast," he said. "My head hit the roof of the squad car and then snapped back."

Kyle went from looking for drunk drivers to becoming the victim of one. It's estimated that the woman who rear-ended his car was going 60 mph, and a breath test revealed her alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit. 

"It is every cop wife's worst fear to get that phone call," Johanna Puelston, Kyle's wife, said. 

Despite suffering a concussion and being taken to the hospital, Kyle called his wife as soon as he could. 

"I don't remember if it was that night or the next day that I got a picture of his squad car. When I saw the squad car, I burst into tears," Johanna said. 

But more importantly, Kyle's recovery has been slow. Even five years later, loud, bright rooms can affect him. 

"He describes it as head pressure or eye pressure. It kind of feels like someone is squeezing his eyeballs from inside his head," Johanna said. 

The Puelstons hope that people will learn from Kyle's story about the effect the accident had not just on him, but on his entire family.

After the crash, they are grateful for the time they can spend with their six children, and they're hoping drivers make safety a priority this New Year's Eve.

"I had three of my friends, all of who were brothers, all of whom were killed by a drunk driver. I've seen the spectrum of the effects of drunk driving. And it could end today, completely, if people just had plans before they go out," Kyle said. 

Kyle credits his wife and his law enforcement colleagues for helping him with his recovery.