Cormier lost her leg because of the severe injuries she sustained, according to police. Stapp said Cormier has a long road to recovery, but Cormier assured him that she will be back.
"Claudia is extremely driven. She is courageous. She is going to get through this," the chief said.
At VMT, her teachers remember her as bright, lively, talented and well-liked by her classmates, the Laredo Independent School District said in a statement. Cormier responded to a traffic hazard report at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday on mile marker 202 of Interstate 35 near the McCarty Overpass, police said.
Dispatch then received 911 calls saying that an officer had been struck by a 2000 Ford Expedition in the same area. Responding officers found Cormier with severe life-threatening injuries. Her dream was to be a police officer.
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