NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) saved the life of a driver in Middle Tennessee who hit a deer and was seriously injured.
On October 25, Trooper Russell Bernard was dispatched to an injury crash involving a vehicle that struck a deer.
When Trooper Bernard arrived on the scene, he saw the driver of the crashed vehicle bleeding heavily from a large puncture wound on the left side of her neck. The deer had crashed through the windshield of the driver’s vehicle after being hit by another vehicle. The deer’s antlers punctured the driver’s neck and the seat.
Trooper Bernard took lifesaving action to control the bleeding by holding pressure on the wound until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived. The driver was immediately transported by EMS to Tri-Star Horizon in Dickson and later flown to Skyline Hospital in Nashville. The injuries sustained to the driver’s neck and artery required emergency surgery.
“I commend Trooper Bernard for taking swift action to save the life of the injured driver,” THP Colonel Tracy Trott said. “Trooper Bernard was able to apply his cadet training and respond quickly using the proper technique and protocol. I am proud of the work we do every day to save lives on our Tennessee roadways.”