MPD Officer Joshua Albert back on patrol after 2012 crash on I-94

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee Police Officer Joshua Albert was nearly killed in a violent crash on I-94 back in September of 2012. Now, not only is Albert back on his feet, but he's back on the force -- and FOX6 was there for his first day back!

A Milwaukee County judge sentenced 24-year-old Erin Salmon to 18 months in prison plus two years of extended supervision on February 27th.

Salmon was convicted of driving drunk westbound on eastbound I-94 with her headlights off for close to 2.5 miles on September 5th, eventually slamming her car into a vehicle driven by Albert.

Salmon and Albert were each trapped in their vehicles, and eventually taken to Froedert Hospital.

The prosecutor told the court that Salmon had possibly eight to ten drinks and smoked marijuana before driving to drop off a co-worker. She got into two hit-and-run accidents before crashing into Albert.

All Albert has wanted since September 5th is to get his old life back, and now he has gotten that wish.

For Albert, getting back to normal means getting back behind the wheel of a squad car.

"It's like riding a bicycle pretty much," Officer Albert said on Sunday, November 17th -- his first day back on the force.

His partner on this day is the same officer who was by his side the night he almost died.

“I remember bits and pieces. I remember Katie (Anderer) coming up to the car and asking me if I was okay. She wanted to sing to me,” Officer Albert said.

“All of a sudden out of nowhere this car came. It looked like an explosion of pieces just going everywhere. It was terrifying. I was like, ‘oh my God, this is my partner.  He’s one of my best friends,’” Anderer said.

Albert and Anderer were headed home from duty on September 5th just after midnight, driving in separate cars on I-94.

“We would follow each other home every night. I’m usually the first car, and he’s normally behind me,” Anderer said.

“She’s my guardian angel. Had she not been there that night, things may have been different. Thankfully, she was,” Albert said.

“He was conscious and breathing.  He was sweating profusely and he had a rim of blue above his lip so I knew he wasn’t getting enough air.  All I did was make sure he stayed conscious until the paramedics arrived. You want to be strong for them. You don’t want them to see that fear in your eyes. I knew he was gonna beat the odds because of his willpower and how strong he is,” Anderer said.

"That night I watched nurses, doctors run around tell me that he had passed away on the table a couple times, and they brought him back.  And I just sat around thinking 'what am I gonna do?' It's been a roller coaster. At times we heard he might not be back here," Anderer said.

Albert suffered a shattered pelvis and ankle, broken hip and fractured spine, among other injuries.

Albert spent a month in the hospital, and then appeared at a benefit in his honor. "Jokes for Josh" was held in October of 2012.

Since March, Albert has been back at MPD's District 3 doing desk work -- but he has always had his eye on his old job.

"And that was just, with my eye on getting back on the street and working with Katie again," Albert said.

Last week, Albert's doctors cleared him for full duty.

"Satisfied is probably the best word!" Albert said.

"It's very exciting that today's the day that we're actually here together and doing this," Anderer said.

"We know what the risks are doing the job and I know what the risks are still and there may be a few more for me, but at the same time I don't worry about it too much," Albert said.