HAMILTON — Hamilton Patrolman Robert Whartenby has a collection of them in his closet, humorous T-shirts that are worth 1,000 words.

The one he wore on Tuesday was a cheap joke — "Amputees: Some assembly required," in red block letters with screws — but if not for the white shirt, a stranger may not realize Whartenby is walking on a prosthetic leg, the result of a 2011 motorcycle crash that amputated his left leg.

"If someone has a question, they can ask it. It's not something I feel should be hidden or shunned," Whartenby said in an interview on Tuesday. "Let's be real: It's what happened. I worked through it and try to make the best out of it."

On Friday, the Hamilton Kiwanis Club will honor Whartenby with its annual Officer of the Year award, given to officers who show exemplary service both within the police division and in the community as a whole.

Whartenby, 33, was shocked when he learned he'd been nominated and pinched himself when Chief James Collins called to inform him that he'd won.

"The most strange and awkward part is that police work, in general, is such a team-oriented profession," Whartenby said. "To be told you're different separates you from the team and that's difficult to accept. There's nothing I could do without every other officer."

Since 2011, Whartenby has worked in the anti-crime unit, which patrols high-crime areas and focuses on violent crimes, street-level narcotics and gang influence with an enhanced police presence.

"The goal is to have enough interaction with the public in order to prevent crimes — the burglaries, the thefts, the violent crimes — from happening," Whartenby said. "If there are enough police officers saturating an area, there's the lowest probability for a crime to take place."

The son of retired Detective Sgt. John Whartenby, Whartenby was hired by the Hamilton Township Police Division in April 2002, after a short stint with the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.

"Not many people call the police when they're having a good day," Whartenby said. "But you're able to make a difference and help people — even in the worst times of their life--in a positive way and make a difference in the community."

'This isn't going to stop me'

On Oct. 1, 2011, Whartenby was driving his motorcycle home. As he traveled down Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, a driver from the other direction turned left a hair too early.

The car's front bumper struck Whartenby's left side, causing a complete traumatic amputation of his left leg about 4 inches below the knee, in addition to a broken pelvis, broken nose and various other injuries.

Hamilton Patrolman Robert Whartenby, recounts details of his motorcycle accident in 2011 which caused a complete below the knee amputation on impact. Whartenby returned to active duty with no restrictions and has been named Officer of the Year by the Kiwanis Club. (Michael Mancuso | Times of Trenton) To purchase prints of this photo, visit TimesofTrenton.zenfolio.com

Within a minute or two of the crash, a passerby arrived at the scene — before the ambulances came — and didn't hesitate a moment. He approached Whartenby and applied a tourniquet on his left leg, stopping as much bleeding as possible.

"Two days later, the trauma team at (Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton) said if he didn't do that, I wouldn't have made it to the hospital," Whartenby said through tears, the only time his emotions came to the forefront during a 45-minute interview.

Whartenby spent nearly three weeks in the trauma unit at the hospital and in-patient physical therapy programs. He was on crutches for six months as the wound healed before he was fitted with a prosthetic leg.

"Then it was the road of learning to walk again, learning the quirks of a fake leg and adjusting to uneven surfaces," Whartenby said.

The whole time, Whartenby knew he'd return to the police division. There wasn't any other option, he said.

"I never had the opportunity for an excuse. Everything was provided to me and set and it was just my job to do it," Whartenby said. "There wasn't a doubt in anybody else's mind that I was going to get through this. And that's what drove me.

This is what I like to do, Whartenby would tell himself. I enjoy going to work every day. This isn't going to stop me.

Once he had the basics down, the township and police division allowed him to come back to work on desk duty. It was a welcome return, simply for the ability to get back into a routine.

"For 10 years, I loved going there every day. Not having that ability for six months bothered me," Whartenby said. "I fell right into it. It was another day. The only additive was that everybody I saw had a 'welcome back' or 'glad to see you.'

"The strange part is that these were the people I saw every day, visiting the hospital or the house. I never lost touch with the co-workers. I never felt like anything was missing," he said.

Over the next 18 months, Whartenby got clearance from the medical, surgical and mental health professionals, all of whom recommended he be returned to active duty.

Finally, Collins called Whartenby with the news: He'd been scheduled to qualify for use of a handgun. He easily passed a test at the police shooting range and was reassigned to the anti-crime unit.

"That's when the butterflies started," Whartenby said. "My whole body lit up. The police division and township had just as much faith as the medical teams had in me."

'Some assembly required'

Hamilton Patrolman Robert Whartenby, still active after a leg amputation from a motorcycle accident in 2011, is named Officer of the Year by the Kiwanis Club. (Michael Mancuso | Times of Trenton) To purchase prints of this photo, visit TimesofTrenton.zenfolio.com

Nearly four years after his amputation, Whartenby has transitioned into the role of a companion for amputees, working with a support group at the St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center in Lawrence.

He is also working to start a peer mentorship program through the Amputee Coalition of America, where he would pair up with new or soon-to-be amputees to answer basic questions and provide anything from a sounding board to a shoulder to cry on.

"On Oct. 1, 2011, I didn't have much interest in amputations or amputees," Whartenby said. "The next day I was extremely interested in amputations and amputees."

He's advocated for other amputees, as well: A lenghty interview with a risk assessment officer in Atlantic City sealed the deal for one officer to return to work after a leg amputation.

"There are many ways to be able to complete the job, complete it well and still be able to do it safely," he said.

Whartenby knows from experience or, rather, lack of experience. Though he missed nearly four years of work with the anti-crime unit, he hasn't missed a beat since returning.

He gets in and out of his police cruiser 40 or 50 times each day, no different from any other officer. He drives it every day and has been involved in a number of foot pursuits.

No civilians or coworkers ever bring up the way he walks. When children ask about the 7-inch scar on his right arm from the crash, he simply calls it a "misunderstanding."

"The majority of what we do is mental," Whartenby said. "If you can overcome it mentally, you can prepare yourself physically."

Mike Davis may be reached at mdavis@njtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @byMikeDavis. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.