Lawrence County Fire Rescue Responds to Two Serious Crashes Minutes Apart

Lawrence County Fire Rescue responded to two motor vehicle crashes within minutes of each other Friday morning, including a rollover crash that required a rope rescue to extricate a seriously injured patient.

According to Lawrence County Fire Rescue, the first call came at approximately 5:47 a.m. for a crash involving a utility pole in the Henryville Fire District. Responding crews found multiple power lines down across the roadway on Turnpike, blocking traffic. Firefighters remained on the scene for an extended period assisting with traffic control and providing scene safety while utility crews worked to clear the area.

About 20 minutes later, at approximately 6:09 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to a rollover crash with serious injuries in the Iron City Fire District. Responding crews found a single vehicle approximately 15 feet down an embankment resting against a tree.

Lawrence County Fire Rescue and the Loretto Fire Department rope rescue teams were dispatched to assist with the extrication. Firefighters, along with personnel from Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency, Lawrence County EMS, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, worked together to build a rope rescue system and safely remove the patient from the embankment while providing medical care.

The patient was transported by Lawrence County EMS to a nearby landing zone, where Saint Joseph Fire Department and Air Evac 110 were standing by. The patient was then airlifted to a Level I trauma center.

Lawrence County Fire Rescue credited the coordinated efforts of the responding agencies and noted that, despite multiple incidents occurring at the same time, personnel worked together to ensure both emergencies were handled safely and effectively.