Onset firefighter Marc Granato lay unconsciousness in a raging storm, both boots knocked off his feet.
Speeding away during the March 2 nor'easter was the person who struck the 25-year-old in a hit-and-run. Running toward Granato was Onset Fire Lt. Justin Harrington. He’d seen many similar crashes. They never ended well.
“I honestly thought he was dead,” said Harrington.
Granato survived. However, his right leg was shattered.
Using crutches and wearing a brace, he climbed to the second floor of the Onset Fire Department Tuesday afternoon. There, lunch and a reunion with Harrington and Granato’s other brothers and sisters in the fire service were waiting. It was the first time many saw Granato since the crash, which left him with a titanium rod in his leg. The mood was joyful, in contrast from the days following Granato’s accident.