13-year-old airlifted after being trapped under truck

A 13-year-old girl was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville Thursday morning July 4, after being trapped underneath a Ford F150.

Cocke County first responders were dispatched to 3113 Holly Court Way in Cosby Thursday morning with Cocke County Sheriff Deputy Josh Ellis arriving on the scene at 9:45 a.m. where he saw the vehicle on top of the juvenile. Also responding was the Cosby Fire Department.

Upon being asked by Deputy Ellis, the girl, who had been a passenger in the vehicle, was responsive and said the truck ran over her. As the fire department was working to successfully extricate the girl from underneath the truck, Ellis spoke to the juvenile’s grandparents.

The grandmother said they were inside the truck, a 2016 Ford F-150, when her husband was backing up the truck and realized he had backed up too far and went off the driveway into an embankment. The grandparents, per the incident report, told Ellis they both exited the truck to get something for traction to try to get the truck back on the driveway. The grandfather stated he then turned around and realized the truck was going down the embankment.

The grandmother then stated she told the 13-year-old and another juvenile inside the vehicle to get out of the truck. The other juvenile was able to get out but as the 13-year-old tried to get out of the truck she was knocked to the ground by the rear left passenger door and the left front tire ran over her legs and abdomen.

Sheriff Lt. Dylan Norton, also on scene, then contacted dispatch to advise LifeStar was going to transport the injured juvenile to UT Medical Center for treatment and a landing zone was set up at Cosby High School.

In an email communication, Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball thanked the quick response of the first responders in extricating the juvenile and extended prayers to the family.