I credit him with helping to save my life and helping me to get back to doing the things that I love doing. Derrick Allen
Derrick Allen served in the United States Air Force before joining the Pittsburgh Police. In June 2024, his truck rolled several times in a single-vehicle crash and threw him out through the sunroof.
He reached UPMC Presbyterian, a Level 1 trauma center, with a fracture-dislocation at C6/C7 — the lower neck — along with a subdural hematoma, injuries to internal organs, and facial fractures. The spinal injury carried a real risk of complete paralysis. His career was in question, and so was brushing his teeth, showering, and walking.
Dr. Agarwal operated while Derrick was supported on ECMO, a machine doing the work of his heart and lungs — a circumstance that narrows the margin for everything else. He decompressed the spinal cord and nerves, then reconstructed and stabilized the fracture with screws and rods.
Recovery ran through inpatient rehabilitation at UPMC Mercy and outpatient physical therapy at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. By early 2025 Derrick was cleared to drive. He returned to part-time police work that February and to full duty in August.
The range of motion in his neck has climbed from 20 to 30 percent to better than 60. He fishes regularly now and intends to get back to hunting.
“He’s an absolutely amazing doctor,” Derrick says. “I credit him with helping to save my life and helping me to get back to doing the things that I love doing.”