CLEVELAND — Walking on the treadmill in the Fourth District gym may have been unremarkable to Cleveland Police Detective Ashley Schut a year ago. After just a few years with the department, the former college athlete had been recruited to work as a violent crimes detective in one of the city’s busiest districts because of her tenacity and commitment to the community.
“I’m making progress, getting a lot stronger with physical therapy,” Detective Schut told News 5 Tuesday.
She has been easing back into her workload after nearly 5 months off the job following a near career-ending crash.
“It feels good to be slowly working my way back into it,” she said.
Photos of Schut and her husband during an October vacation in Utah showed scenic hikes with sweeping views of the snow-capped mountains. The trip was supposed to culminate with a paragliding adventure.
“It was a beautiful day. The sky was bright blue, not a cloud in sight,” Schutt recalled. “I don’t remember the accident at all. The next thing I remember was just waking up after the spine surgery in the ICU.”
Investigators in Draper, Utah, said Schut was flying tandem with an instructor when the pair collided mid-air with a hang glider. The instructor died in the crash. Doctors warned Schut’s husband that a spinal injury could mean potential paralysis.
“Every one of the spine specialists that I’ve seen so far is just amazed at the progression I’ve been able to make and at the fact that I’m not paralyzed based on the injuries that I have,” Schutt said. “Even though it’s obviously not something that anyone would ever want to go through, I do feel incredibly blessed.”
She said some of the biggest blessings came in the form of support from around the country.
Days after the crash, News 5 talked to the Utah Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) about the help it was providing for the couple while they were 1,700 miles from home. “You might not have blood family there, you’ve got blue family,” Utah FOP president Brent Jex told News 5 at the time.
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Schut said the Utah FOP helped with immediate expenses, including loaning her husband a vehicle for weeks and bringing an air conditioning unit to the stuffy hospital room.
“Even though we were far away from home, far away from family, just to have their support was huge,” she said.
The community there helped arrange a special ambulatory flight from Utah back to Ohio a month after the accident, where a crowd of Cleveland Police officers and others greeted the couple.
“It was definitely a moment that was unforgettable for us to be able to see her and see her recovery,” said Cleveland Police Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz.
Once back home, she said the support has continued.
“There’s just been an incredible outpouring — whether it’s financial help or people giving us meals or building a ramp onto the front of our house,” she said. “I don’t think I’m through this journey yet. But every single step of the way has been an incredible opportunity to see how many people care about my husband and I and just care about making sure we’re taken care of.”
She said she’s been leaning on that community support and growing stronger in her faith during her recovery.
“It’s been a difficult, but unique opportunity to just grow in my faith and to continue to put my trust in God,” said Schut. “Even though I don’t understand why it happened or why I still have the injuries that I’m kind of still trying to figure out, I’m thankful that his hand is on the situation.”
Walking on the treadmill in the Fourth District gym, she told us she was grateful for the progress she’s made and to be back in the job she enjoys.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity that I have to investigate and solve cases. I’ve really enjoyed doing that over the last year, and just trying to make Cleveland safer,” she said.
Schutt is attending physical therapy twice a week and expects at least one more surgery as she heals. There’s no specific timeline for when she could return to full duty.
Editor's note: Prior coverage of this story included an incorrect pronunciation of Schut's last name. We apologize for the error.
