Leila Simpson had her wedding all planned out. The Atlanta firefighter was set to marry the love of her life next month in Rockmart and was looking forward to their big day.
But everything changed Thursday evening when her fiancé, 27-year-old Clayton County police Officer Joshua Baggett, was critically injured in a wreck on his way to work.
Five surgeries later, Baggett remains in the intensive care unit at Grady Memorial Hospital, and doctors aren’t certain he’ll ever walk again, his family said Tuesday. Baggett fractured two vertebrae in the crash, which also left him with severe internal bleeding, a shattered femur, a broken left arm and several facial fractures, among other injuries.
He’s set to undergo surgery on his spine as soon as possible, but first doctors must get him stable.
“He is still very critical, but we’re taking it day by day,” his father, Scott Baggett, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’ll be a long road ahead — doctors are saying he may be paralyzed, but we’re optimistic God will give him a full recovery.”
Simpson, who is determined to marry her fiancé, said she hasn’t called any wedding vendors to cancel the couple’s plans just yet. She and Baggett, who have been together about two years, recently purchased their first home and are looking forward to their lives together, she said.
“The wedding may have to be at Grady now, but that’s fine,” Simpson said.
Credit: Family Photo
Credit: Family Photo
According to the Georgia State Patrol, Baggett was driving north on I-85 in Coweta County about 8:45 p.m. when he rear-ended a tractor-trailer that had stopped for a wreck ahead of him. The crash occurred in the far left lane, and the driver of the tractor-trailer, who works for a concrete company, was not injured.
A photo posted to a fundraising page shows the officer’s Dodge pickup truck with a mangled front end and what appears to be a shattered windshield. Investigators believe the officer was following too closely and that he may have been distracted at the time of the crash, according to the incident report. Scott Baggett said his son was coming over a hill and simply couldn’t stop in time.
Credit: GoFundMe
Credit: GoFundMe
Joshua Baggett has been with the Clayton County Police Department for less than three months. Prior to joining the department, he worked as a Coweta County deputy for about six years, his family said.
Shayla Varona, who was set to be matron of honor in the couple’s March 28 wedding, set up a fundraising page to help cover the officer’s medical expenses. The page had raised nearly $9,000 as of Tuesday evening.
She said Baggett and Simpson regularly go out of their way to help strangers, which is evident in their respective career choices.
“They’re like a match made in heaven,” she said. “They would do anything for anyone. The least I could do was start a GoFundMe and try to get the word out.”
After undergoing multiple surgeries, she said Baggett’s condition appears to be improving. The officer is “very responsive” to the ICU nurse and is able to answer questions by nodding his head. He can also communicate with his family by blinking his eyes and poking his tongue out, even though he’s intubated, Varona said.
“We know that the next few days are critical and will continue to lift him, his fiancée, and family up in prayer,” Varona wrote on the fundraising page.
Baggett’s family said Clayton County police and the Atlanta Fire Department have been incredibly supportive in the days since the crash, delivering meals each day so they don’t have to worry about cooking. They also said the well-wishes from friends and colleagues appear to be helping.
“I believe in my fiancé,” Simpson said, calling him a fighter. “I love him to death and I know he’s going to get through this.”
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