Whitley Deputy recalls scary moments in snowstorm crash; suffers minor injuries

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Brett Reeves said all that remains of his rollover accident on Alsile Road in a driving snowstorm last Friday are a few cuts, some aches and memories of the tense moments following the accident.

Reeves, who has been a full-time deputy with the department for the last two years, said this week he was more worried about the safety of the four elementary age children he was trying to get home to their parents than he was his own well-being.

"It scared the kids to death. It scared me to death," Reeves said, remembering the accident. "I can’t even describe it. I just knew I had to get them out of the vehicle and make sure they were alright."

Reeves was part of a group of deputies who, along with Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge, were traveling county roads last Friday evening transporting Whitley County School System students from buses stranded on slick roads to their homes.

Reeves had delivered one carload of kids in the Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving, and was on Alsile Road going toward 92 West with his second load of children when an unavoidable situation presented itself.

"That section of the road goes down hill and takes a left hand turn, and then a right hand turn like an S," Reeves said. "Apparently, somebody got their vehicle stuck and just left it abandoned at the bottom of the hill in the curve."

When he saw the vehicle in the roadway, Reeves said he had little time to react.

He attempted to avoid hitting the vehicle, and did, but instead slipped over a steep embankment and into a tree. The Tahoe ended up on its side with parts of the tree sticking through the front windshield.

Frantic moments ensued.

Reeves kicked out the passenger side window and crawled out of the vehicle while children were screaming for help in the back. They could not slip into the front seat because of a prisoner screen installed in the SUV.

"I just told them to get out of the way the best they could and used my baton to smash the window out," Reeves said. "The littlest boy was scared and crying. He didn’t want to come out of the car. It was a pretty steep bank and it was really dark out … you couldn’t see anything and there were no houses around. It was pretty scary."

Reeves got the older kids out and coaxed the youngster out as well. All five climbed the bank to the roadway when tragedy nearly struck again. Another motorist lost control of his vehicle and was sliding toward the group.

"When I heard the vehicle coming I knew it was bad because the road was so slick," Reeves said. "He started to do the same think we did. It wasn’t his fault. I got one of the kids in my arms and grabbed the others and pulled them out of the way. It came close to hitting us all."

Reeves said the motorist finally wrecked out in a ditch, but was unharmed.

Reeves said he got a good look at all the children to make sure they were OK. He then went back down the embankment to his cruiser to reestablish communication with the county’s dispatch center through the car radio. His handheld radio was lost in the wreck.

A short time later, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White showed up and gave the kids a place to warm up in his vehicle. Reeves and the children were taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center to be checked out. Everyone was released with no major injuries.

"The wreck wasn’t so much scary to me as it was the thought of one of the kids being hurt. I didn’t want that to happen," Reeves said. "I’m glad everything turned out alright."

Hodge said everyone riding in Reeves’ vehicle was wearing a seat belt.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said. "Getting them out of there was one thing, but Brett got them all out and up the bank by himself. It was a steep embankment. There was no shoulder there at all. If you step off the road, you are going down the embankment."

Hodge said the Tahoe was one of the department’s older vehicles and was most likely totaled in the crash.

Reeves was back on duty for his next shift.