Geneva County Accident Friday Night Claims the Life of a Dothan Man

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Posted by: JRTyson
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Date: May 20 2023 3:41 PM

Malvern - Friday night as we were walking in the house from the Dothan Rehobeth Spring Football game Geneva County Comm Center pages Malvern Vol Fire Department and Slocomb Rescue to a vehicle accident on Hwy 52 West in Malvern. The location is in the curve in front of Deep South Home Medical. When you have been in the Fire and EMS world for a long time you can sometimes hear in the dispatchers voice that there might be something different about this call. The call last night had the sound of something different about it. 

Living less than 10 minutes from the scene I decided to go ahead and go. While listening to the radio traffic the entire accident sounded bad. As the first Volunteer firemen began arriving on scene what I felt was coming true. 

Malvern Fire Chief and Enterprise Fireman Anthony Johnson arrived on scene within minutes of the initial call. He began what we call in the fire service know as a "BIR" with a "CAN" report. The BIR stand for Brief Initial Report and the CAN report is a Condition, Actions and Needs. Chief Johnson advised there was two cars involved with extremely heavy damage to both vehicle, there were patient in both vehicle that appeared trapped. He was going to need extrication equipment, additional help from Slocomb Fire Department and he established Hartford Hwy Command.

Assistant Fire Chief Tim Carnes was enroute from Slocomb and requested to have Survival Flight dispatched and enroute to the scene. Upon my arrival Slocomb Rescue had just arrived on scene and was loading one patient in the ambulance. Slocomb and Malvern Fire Department were working to free an additional patient. 

We have all been in this field for years and if there is ever an needs or we can be of assistance that comes before pictures and stories. As I walked to the vehicle with phone in hand I quickly slid it back in my as I meet Chief Carnes standing by the ambulance and asked is there anything I can do to help. His response was "Please see if they need help over there" pointing to the over turned Jeep. 

As I walked up Dothan Firefighter Paramedic and Slocomb FireMedic Quinten Helms along with other members from Slocomb and Malvern, were extricating the other person from the Jeep. 

Asking Quinten what I could do to help, we began working together along with a host of other members. 

Quinten, being a Volunteer and a Professional Fireman, left his wife and new baby at home, that is less than a week old, to come and assist people he didn’t even know. Sometimes as volunteers you have to sacrifice to help others. 

As the patient was being tended to Survival Flight was scheduled to land in the Deep South parking lot next to the accident scene. As they circled overhead Chief Carnes noticed there were powerlines in the area and called off the landing. 

Survival flight was diverted to Hwy 52 at the beginning of the 4 lane. 

One patient was transported as a trauma alert to a Dothan Hospital by Slocomb Rescue and one patient was flown by Survival Flight to a Dothan Hospital

Mr. Jimmy R. Cook, 78, was fatally injured when the 2006 GMC Sierra collied head on with the Jeep. Mr Cook Cook was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

Geneva County Deputies were managing the landing zone and traffic control. Slocomb Police also responded.

ALEA Troopers were on the scene investigation the accident. 

Please understand this story is not about us here at RSN. But we did not release a story last night nor were pictures of a helicopter flying overhead seem important when there are ways to assist and help. These members worked tirelessly and worked as a team for the interest of everyone involved. 

To the Cook family, we are sorry for your loss and are in our prayers  

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