WEST NEWBURY — Retired fire Chief Raymond "Rock" Dower has reached an important milestone in his recovery from a serious car accident. According to Dower's longtime girlfriend, Jill Godin, he was moved out of the surgical intensive care unit and into a regular room at Tufts Medical Center in Boston yesterday.
"This means he can receive both visitors and mail! He's obviously still in a lot of pain and needs his rest, but I'm sure he'd love to see some new faces," Godin wrote in an e-mail update to family and friends. She and other family members have been telling him that people are asking about him and bringing him e-mails from well-wishers to read when he felt up to it, she added.
"It's good to hear that Rock has moved out of ICU. Everyone is thinking of him and wishes him a speedy recovery," said Selectman Tom Atwood yesterday.
Dower and Godin were injured on Friday when a car driven by Matthew Emery of Methuen collided into their vehicle as they drove home from Christmas shopping eastbound on Route 213 in Methuen.
Dower sustained multiple serious injuries, including a significant concussion, a broken sternum, 12 broken ribs, a fractured left ankle and three fractured vertebrae.
According to Godin, doctors have determined Dower will not need surgery on his spinal vertebrae, but will require a back brace for about a month and is still wearing a neck brace.
"Apparently there is some concern about a possible fracture in his neck. It seems that they're pretty sure it isn't an issue, but they want to be certain before they put any pressure on his neck," Godin reported.
It's expected he will remain in the hospital until his pain is managed sufficiently enough to allow him to move into the rehabilitation phase of his recovery, she wrote.
The retired fire chief led the fire department for 30 of his 45 years on the force.
Selectman Dick Cushing praised Dower's longtime service to the town. In fact, he said he had just spoken with Dower days before the accident about having him spearhead a campaign to restore the West Newbury Veterans Firefighter Association handtub shed. Dower was going to investigate the possibility of using Community Preservation Act Funds for the project as a way to honor all past and present firefighters in town.
"Just one more thing he was going to take on for the town," Cushing said.
The crash closed the eastbound lanes of the roadway for three hours. As of yesterday, Emery, whose vehicle had been heading westbound when his car swerved across the median, remained in serious condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, according to a hospital spokesperson. Godin was released from Lawrence General Hospital on Saturday.
The accident remains under investigation by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, with the assistance of the State Police Collision and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.
Get-well wishes for Dower can be sent to:
Raymond Dower, Room 4041, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Ave., Boston, MA 02111.
Or to his home at: 107 School St,, Groveland, MA 01834
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