by RICHARD WEIR
The Long Island cop critically injured when his patrol car was rammed by a drunken driver shortly after he pulled over another DWI driver is showing "early signs" of recovery, his doctors said.
Nassau Police Officer Kenneth Baribault, 30, remained "heavily sedated" in the intensive care unit at Nassau University Medical Center after undergoing neurosurgery to relieve pressure caused by bleeding on his brain, doctors said Tuesday.
"He has shown some early signs ... of recovery. He has made some movements based on hearing family voices, which is something we consider to be a positive," Dr. Glenn Faust said yesterday.
The divorced father of a 6-year-old boy, will have surgery Tuesday to repair his crushed pelvis.
Baribault suffered severe head injuries Sunday at 5:50 a.m. when a Mercedes doing more than 75 mph rear-ended his parked patrol car on the eastbound shoulder of the Long Island Expressway in Plainview, cops said.
Off-duty New York City Firefighter Philip Scarfi, who was travelling in the opposite direction, stopped his car and ran across the highway and performed first aid on the officer.
Faust said Scarfi's quick actions helped save the officer's life.
"There's no question that that firefighter is a hero," added Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi.
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