Pine Bluff police officer returns to work after surviving 2023 on-duty crash

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Pine Bluff police officer Tiffany Wood is grateful to be alive after being involved in a car crash while on the job on Oct. 29, 2023. She said the road to recovery has “been a very hard path.”

She was injured after responding to a fight at a nightclub on University Drive at around 5 a.m. after she was hit head-on while chasing a man who was driving erratically.

Wood said she “had over 10 broken bones” including her femur, knee and several ribs.

She said she really feared for her life when she found out she had injured her aorta.

“I knew from going through an EMT course that if you injure it just right you can bleed out within seconds,” she said.

She said throughout her journey of recovery she’s been able to see the true meaning of a law enforcement family as those from many different agencies have been there by her side.

When she was able to return home from the hospital, she was greeted with a motorcade from law enforcement. She says this was what she “loved the most” about her experience.

“Most of the time if you see a long line of police cars and ambulances and fire trucks, it’s because somebody took their last breath that was a first responder. That was not my case,” Wood said. “I got to enjoy that being alive.”

She said she doesn’t remember much of that night, but she does remember saying to her supervisor, “I didn’t want to die. I have too much to live for.”

After a long road of recovery, Wood is now back on full-time patrol.

“I’ve been to over 90 physical therapy appointments,” she said.

As of Sept. 4, Wood is cleared from all doctor and physical therapy appointments. She said she hopes to be an example for her son and everyone that nothing can hold you down unless you let it

“I know it’s difficult. I know it’s tough,” she said. “I’m coming from experience saying that, but you can.”

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