Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Julian Garcia exits his patrol vehicle to speak with a motorist he stopped for speeding during a sunny afternoon in Key Largo on Nov. 21. Garcia admits he still feels some angst conducting stops along U.S. 1 after losing his left leg following a traffic stop turned horrific accident in Islamorada the evening of April 9, 2024.
Garcia lost his left leg from the knee down after a suspected drunk driver crashed into his patrol car. He was walking between his car and the vehicle he pulled over at the time near MM 87 when the woman rammed into the back of his vehicle. Authorities say Alexandra Marlene Baraga was behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck deputy Garcia. She had a blood alcohol level of 0.310, nearly four times the legal limit.
He was pinned and severely injured. Thankfully, his colleagues on the road, Islamorada Fire Rescue and Monroe County Trauma Star swiftly responded to render aid.
He was airflighted to Jackson Hospital in Miami where he underwent numerous surgeries; the decision was ultimately made to amputate his left leg from the knee down.
Through the procedures, getting acquainted with the prosthetic leg and strenuous physical therapy, Garcia admits it was a challenging period as he tried to get back on his feet. But with support from his family, the sheriff’s office and the Florida Keys community, Garcia’s determination and desire to return to the road wasn’t a far-out dream.
In late June, Garcia climbed back into his patrol car for his first shift since the accident. Overall, he’s feeling good doing something he missed. But some days can be tougher than others as he gets to feeling fully comfortable with a prosthetic leg.
“Coming back, I was obviously very excited and everything – nervous too,” he said. “Once I got back, I was trying to get accustomed to how to walk and move around, getting in and out of the vehicle.”
Working nights before the accident, Garcia’s shift now includes half daytime patrol and the other half during the evening until midnight.
“Days are more like fraud reports, traffic crashes, maybe little customer disputes. Nights it’s a little more active with DUIs, domestics, fights, disorderly intoxication,” Garcia said.
Sheriff Rick Ramsay said the schedule gave Garcia and the sheriff’s office time to evaluate his capacities and abilities, all while giving him time to re-acclimate as an officer.
“We wanted to make sure he was comfortable,” Ramsay said. “He’s continued to impress me and others, continuing to achieve goals and objectives and proving to him and others he could make a comeback. And he did make a comeback.”
Ramsay admits he wasn’t sure if Garcia was going to be able to return to the road. Ramsay said Garcia maintained positive spirits and hard work throughout his journey
“Never have I heard of someone with an above-the-knee amputation coming back. I initially thought he’d come back as a courtroom security detail. I was hopeful for field operation,” Ramsay said. “I called him every week, and he always said ‘I’m coming back soon.’ I told him, ‘I have a job for you, I’m pulling for you’ and continued giving positive feedback to help him get his spirits up. But his spirits were always high.”
Garcia, too, had some doubts as he began getting acquainted with the prosthetic leg.
“When I tried it on, I tried to walk, I was like, ‘Yeah I’m not going to be able to do this.’ I was like ‘I don’t see how.’ It’s because I’m impatient,” he said. “I wanted to start walking as soon as I got it. I had to take some time and realize it’s not going to be super easy. I hadn’t been standing in months, so just being able to stand up straight was enough for me.”
And he remembers being so tired from physical therapy that he’d sit in his car for a time before getting out to enter his house.
“I had a really great physical therapy and occupational therapy,” Garcia said. “They were pushing me to my limits and it made me realize I could do more.”
Garcia’s day shift has given him the opportunity to work again with deputy Richard Rodriguez. The two worked nights on the road in Islamorada until the accident in April 2024.
Rodriguez was one of the first to arrive at the scene alongside deputy Landon Gardner. Rodriguez, who applied the tourniquet to Garcia’s leg during the accident, said it means everything to be back working with his close colleague.
“The fact he still loves the job and still wants to serve the community, it encourages me and motivates me to come out here and be better,” Rodriguez said. “Knowing that he was able to recover and fight his battles and still come out the same person but better, I know he’s going to be such an impactful individual when it comes to his future trainees and people he instructs in the academy.”
Rodriguez’s patrol car was positioned behind Garcia’s as he conducted a traffic stop on the speeder alongside U.S. 1. That was until a vehicle failed to move over for the traffic stop or slow 20 mph below the posted speed limit. Rodriguez sped off and turned his light to pull over the Move Over Law offender.
The law requires motorists to move to an adjacent lane or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when they approach emergency vehicles, tow trucks as well as disabled vehicles displaying flashing lights. Ramsay said the law is particularly important for the safety of officers and others working alongside the road. The accident which injured Garcia is an example of why the law is in place, he said.
“Yes, she was a drunk diver, but she failed to comply with the Move Over act. If she complied, this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Garcia credits many people in his journey to recovery and getting back to doing what he loves. HIs family especially helped him through the tough times. The community also came to his side through a fundraiser organized by Islamorada Mayor Sharon Mahoney to help him get back on his feet. The fundraiser generated $60,000 for Garcia.
“I don’t think it would have been possible,” Garcia said. “Everyone from my friends to the people I’ve worked with at the sheriff’s office, including my command staff, always reached out. It felt great knowing so many people were wondering how I was doing and asking how I was progressing.”
Garcia said being a police officer is something he always wanted to do, even after the accident. And he didn’t want to lose his job from losing his leg.
“It’s a fun job, especially when you have good people working with you,” he said.
Ramsay said anybody can gain inspiration from Garcia’s story.
“This guy never let his faith down. He had a can-do attitude, remained positive and was never down on himself. He always said, ‘Look, I’m coming back.’”
As for the motorist who hit Garcia, Baraga’s case is scheduled for a hearing on Dec. 18 before Circuit Court Judge James Morgan at the Plantation Key Courthouse. Garcia, too, filed a lawsuit against Baraga for auto negligence.
