Nearly four years after being struck by an oncoming vehicle during a traffic stop in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica VanBynen has returned to full patrol duty, making what department leaders have described as one of the most remarkable recoveries they have ever witnessed.
VanBynen was seriously injured in August 2022 when a passing vehicle sideswiped her while she was standing outside her patrol car speaking with a driver during a regular traffic stop. At the time, Eugene Rush, now a commander with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, was her direct supervisor.
“I was absolutely shocked,” Rush said. “The first thing I did was look at the body cam footage, and it was just horrific to see an officer suffer something like that while on duty.”…