In this Sept. 10, 2015 file photo, Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza speaks at the podium during a dedication ceremony for the county's new Accountability and Restitution Center earlier this year.
Nearly a week after suffering severe injuries in a motorcycle crash, Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza was able to breathe and speak after a ventilator was removed from his mouth, according to an update on his condition Monday.
The sheriff’s office reports that Snaza “seemed to be in good spirits and is aware of his surroundings” and “is now able to communicate with his family.”
Snaza remains in a critical care unit at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was injured in a motorcycle accident Aug. 23 when he lost control of his Harley-Davidson on a rural highway in Montana. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
The sheriff’s injuries include a punctured lung, a lacerated kidney, a lacerated tongue, a broken left arm and a damaged right hand. Surgeons fused a bone in his neck last week, and Snaza has been able to move his extremities such as his legs and fingers.
