Officer faces long recovery

AURORA, Neb. — The road to recovery could be a long one for Chad Mertz, an Aurora police corporal who suffered a brain injury while off duty earlier this month.

Mertz was struck in the head by a rubber mat on Oct. 2 while outside a business in Aurora, according to Michelle Belitz, a family friend. Wind speeds that day averaged 20 mph with gusts up to 31 mph.

Mertz hasn’t been able to work since the accident, and his wife, who is a special education paraeducator at Aurora Elementary School, has also been off work since the incident, Belitz said.

According to Belitz, two of the men who were with Mertz said it looked like he was knocked out while still on his feet. He didn’t fall down, but he stumbled toward the street. When one of his friends tried to help him, Mertz took a swing at him.

When an ambulance crew arrived, Mertz didn’t recognize them even though he works as an ambulance volunteer, Belitz said.

Mertz was taken to Memorial Hospital in Aurora, where he was released after a few hours, Belitz said.

At home, it appeared he was having seizures, so he was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island. That night, he suffered a 30-minute seizure and was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He remained in the intensive care unit there until Oct. 9, Belitz said.

Mertz is now home, and his family is trying to arrange for him to go to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln for further treatment. According to the doctors, Mertz has a bruise to the brain in an area near his temple.

Mertz’s memory is still compromised, Belitz said. He recognizes some people but wasn’t familiar with his home when he returned from the hospital. He also doesn’t recognize his boss at the Aurora Police Department, where he has worked for about four years, she said.

Mertz also works in construction and is an instructor at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, Belitz said.

“He’s a busy guy,” she said. “He’s not liking just being at home.”

To assist his family, which includes his wife, Melissa, and three young children, with medical bills, donations can be sent to Heritage Bank, 1101 12th St., Aurora, NE 68818.