MARIETTA - Cobb police Sgt. Mike Crider faces a long recovery after his patrol car was struck on June 19 head-on by a suspected drunk driver in a Honda Civic during a police chase.

The 16-year veteran police officer broke his hip socket in three places as a result of the collision. He underwent surgery and had two plates and eight screws inserted in his left leg.

On Sunday, Fuddruckers restaurant, near Town Center at Cobb mall, and NobleHeroes Foundation Inc., will sponsor a benefit for Crider, 44, who has a 24-year-old son and 2-year-old granddaughter. A portion of net receipts placed in a bucket at the restaurant will go to assist Crider. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. It's located at 2708 Town Center Drive off Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw.

The nonprofit NobleHeroes Foundation, started in 2007 by two veteran public safety officials, seeks to assist those who serve in public safety and have been injured, disabled or traumatized in the line of duty.

Since he can remember, Crider said he'd always wanted to be a police officer. But in his mind, the dangers of police work were always associated with being shot or injured in a fight.

"I never thought about getting hurt in a car wreck," he said. "We probably spend 60 percent of our time in our car. It was just one of those things I never really thought about."

According to Cobb Police, on June 19, Christopher Scott Richards, 33, of Canton, was fleeing authorities at a high rate of speed on Interstate 575 southbound, when he crossed the grass median at Barrett Parkway, continued south in the northbound lanes and smashed into Crider's patrol car.

Police said Richards first eluded authorities in Cherokee County, who were trying to stop him on suspicion of impaired driving. He fled south on I-575 into Cobb County, where police attempted to stop him again at the Chastain Road exit. Richards then crossed the median around 10:50 a.m. and hit Crider, who was driving northbound in the left-hand lane, police said.

Crider said the impact of the crash caused his patrol car's floor and dash boards to compress inward, damaging his leg. He also suffered severe cuts to his hand. He remembered drivers coming to his aid, but the driver side of the car was so damaged that it couldn't be opened. First responders had to use a hydraulic rescue cutter to remove Crider from the vehicle.

"This is not a boast or anything, but it's probably the worst pain I've ever felt," Crider said. "All I could think of is, 'If I could straighten my leg I'd be O.K.' That's all I could think of; if I could just straighten my leg out I would be O.K., which that was impossible to do."

Following the crash, Richards was taken to Atlanta Medical Center and later transported to the Cobb County Jail, where he remains on a $100,000 bond.

Crider - who was supervising the pursuit - was airlifted to Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital following the crash. Crider said his recovery so far has been going well, except for recent news by his physician that there could be nerve damage below his knee. Further tests will be needed, Crider said. However, he said he hopes to someday return to duty on the police force.

"It hasn't deterred my feelings about being a police officer," Crider said. "I'm proud of what I do. I'm proud of all the guys that work for me and with me."

Jason Muenzer, NobleHeroes Foundation president, said the organization is dedicated to helping public safety officers like Crider.

"After finding out about Sgt. Crider's injuries and his inability to work for six months, we just felt the need to help him in some way," said Muenzer, a former Atlanta police officer. "None of this could have been possible without the overwhelming support of Fuddruckers and the community. We hope people come out and have a good time."

Crider said he wasn't expecting the benefit and is humbled by the outreach of support.

Sunday will be the first time since the incident that Crider said he'll see some of his fellow officers.