By Wade Cheek and Megan Horn
Tribune Staff
“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”
That’s what the late, great American college basketball coach Jim Valvano said in his memorable 1993 speech at the ESPY Awards while he was terminally ill with cancer.
Those words also were spoken by 40-year lineman of the Georgia Power Company and lifelong Clayton resident Lonnie English who just before his scheduled retirement, was involved in a tragic car crash that forced doctors to amputate part of his right leg.
While Rabun County High School graduate English recently has been honored locally and at the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, what led to the recognitions was truly life-altering.
On July 4 of this year, English was just finishing up a double-shift for Georgia Power around 10 p.m when he lost control of his boom/bucket truck and struck a tree off the side of Rainey Mountain Road. After the truck flipped and reached its final landing spot where it had split open, English was pinned in the front where he experienced immediate injuries to the lower half of his body.
Luckily, residents of a nearby home in Clayton drove by the accident soon after and called emergency services. EMS staff responded within 10 minutes, according to English. However, he wasn’t removed from the vehicle until just over three hours later.
While English waited to be removed, he was met by staff from Northeast Georgia Medical Center, one being Dr. Nathan Creel.
According to the Northeast Georgia Health System’s website, Creel is a provider with the Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and specializes in trauma surgery. English said NGMC of Gainesville had never sent a trauma surgeon along with a life-flight. After a request to send a physician to the site of the accident was denied at first, steps were made to send Creel to provide on-scene help for English.
After arriving at the crash, Creel gave English, who experienced rapid blood loss, multiple units of blood while still inside of the wreckage and more units once he was moved into the emergency helicopter.
English, quoting Creel, said, “‘If I wasn’t with you before you lifted off, you would’ve never made it to Gainesville.’”
English and his wife, Caroline English, said NGMC has chosen Lonnie to be its yearly trauma patient who is honored for their bravery amid a tragic trauma injury. They also said given the fact that what Creel did for Lonnie had never been done, NGMC plans to push for change where it will be permissible and granted for trauma physicians to request to join life-flights and help save lives.
“It will be a story to show and tell how surgeons can do their jobs outside of the operating room,” Caroline English said. “This will help save somebody else’s life.”
It did indeed save English’s life as doctors performed a successful operation in Gainesville where he was joined by his family, friends and many members of the community.
“The support has been overwhelming,” English said as Caroline English poured open a bag overflowing with letters and cards sent to the English family after the accident.
At their Sept. 26 meeting, the Rabun County Board of Commissioners honored those public safety officials who were involved in the lifesaving efforts of English on the Fourth of July.
“You’re all heroes,” said Commission Chairman Greg James to a packed house of attendees. Many
of the men and women public safety officials who were involved in saving English’s life were present at the meeting, and the crowd gave a standing ovation and clapped to honor them.
“To do what y’all did, it took a team effort,” discussed the commissioners as they told first responders they are appreciated each day.
The crowd also cheered for English, who through tear-filled eyes, said, “I know they have been a blessing to a lot of people, but that night they were angels.”
Commissioner Scott Crane said “it’s an honor” to be among the brave men and women and read the proclamation aloud.
“Rabun County has a Public Safety community made up of professional men and women both career and volunteer. These professionals make up the many departments of Law Enforcement, Rabun County Emergency Medical Service, Rabun County Fire Services, Rabun County 911, and the Rabun County Search and Rescue Team. These men and women dedicate and devote their lives and careers to protect the citizens and visitors of Rabun County, Ga.
“Now, therefore, we, the Rabun County Board of Commissioners acknowledge this lifesaving work and dedication that was demonstrated by the Rabun County Public Safety Professionals not only on this day but each and every day. We acknowledge that because of each individuals’ heroic actions on this scene, Mr. English was able to reunite with his family and enjoy time with loved ones again,” reads the proclamation that also details the events of the night.
“Whereas, on the night of Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at the time of [10:17 p.m]., Rabun County 911, Rabun County Fire Services, Rabun County Emergency Medical Service, and the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a one vehicle accident with injuries, in the location of 613 Rainey Mountain Road, Clayton.
“Whereas, when the responding apparatus and responders arrived on scene at [10:24 p.m.], they noted a single commercial vehicle accident versus a tree with extensive damage to the cab of a Georgia Power Company bucket truck. While approaching the bucket truck, Public Safety personnel noted this would be an extensive and technically complex rescue scene. Responders requested additional assistance, including multiple heavy-duty wreckers to assist in stabilizing the vehicle. Once patient contact was made at [10:26 p.m.], EMS crew members began to assess and communicate with the patient, Lonnie English.
“Whereas, with additional resources responding to the scene to assist, EMS and Fire Service personnel began the technical and extensive extrication process. With the immediate life threatening injuries noted by EMS personnel, they placed tourniquets on Mr. English’s lower extremities and blood clotting medications in attempts to control and stop the external hemorrhage. At this point, a medical helicopter was requested to transport lifesaving blood products to the scene, due to the challenging and complex extrication process. A Trauma Surgeon from Northeast Georgia Medical Center was also requested to respond to the scene for the possibility of a field amputation of Mr. English’s right leg due to the extensive entrapment from the vehicle accident.
“Whereas, Rabun County Public Safety Team Members continued to stabilize, work, and extricate Mr. English from his bucket truck for over 2-hours-and-59-minutes. At [1:25 a.m.] on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, Mr. English was freed from the entanglement of the accident and was taken to an awaiting medical helicopter and flown to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.”
It didn’t take long for people to start flooding into the hospital in order to see him. English even received a visit from Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power Kim Greene despite the two never meeting prior.
While Greene met with English, who is a fan of the University of Georgia football team, she informed him of a great gesture that he would receive.
English said Greene and Georgia Power were responsible for his recognition by UGA at the Bulldogs’ football game against the University of South Carolina on Sept. 16. Before the Bulldogs kicked off to the Gamecocks at 3:30 p.m, English, joined by his wife, his daughter Logan, Greene and UGA mascot “Hairy Dawg,” was presented the UGA vs. USC game ball at the 50-yard line of Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.
Lonnie and Caroline English both agreed that it’s easy to tell how much Greene cares about her employees by what she did for them.
“For her to do all of that for us, it was very sweet,” English said.
The English family was unaware they would be going on the field and thought that there would be multiple groups of people on the field with them. However they had over 96,000 fans watching and cheering for them and them alone.
“That was amazing,” said Caroline English of the pregame ceremony. “(Sanford Stadium) is
amazing, just to look up and see the sea of red and hear everybody cheer was so cool.”
English hasn’t just been a fan of football. He’s played it. In fact, he is a member of the 1977 Wildcat football team that was inducted into the Rabun County High School Hall of Fame on Sept. 15. Caroline English also was inducted into the RCHS Hall as a member of the 1982 cross country team.
Caroline English also mentioned that among the many people who visited her husband in the hospital were also members of that 1977 RCHS football team, Lonnie English’s teammates.
Lonnie’s and Caroline’s children also were involved in Wildcat athletics – Lonnie’s late son, Levi, was coached by former football coach Sonny Smart. Smart is the father of current UGA football head coach Kirby Smart, who also joined English during his recognition in Athens. Levi remains an important part of the Wildcats’ pregame ritual of rubbing “Levi’s Rock” just before they grace Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium where he and his dad used to compete on the gridiron.
According to Lonnie and Caroline English, they found the massive rock when they had just started dating and had it removed from the creek where it laid and placed just past the east end- zone.
After hearing of the wreck, Smart was contacted by RCHS head football coach Michael Davis and was asked to tell the story of Levi’s Rock to the current members of the Wildcat football team.
“Lonnie was very supportive (of RCHS athletics) being a former player and had ideas about increasing spirit and talked about the rock,” Smart said. “The rock has become a symbol … it’s become a tradition (to rub the Levi’s Rock).”
Smart compared Levi’s Rock to that of “Howard’s Rock” that rests within Death Valley of Clemson University. It is believed to give mystical powers to those who touch it.
Smart, who was hired by RCHS in 1995, met English as a result of Levi English being on the team and has been friends with him ever since. So it wasn’t hard for Smart to be involved and help the English family after the accident.
“The thing that impressed me so was what a great attitude he has about this (accident),” Smart said. “That’s what I would expect (from Lonnie English) … he’s a very positive person and makes the best of his situation.”
Making the best of a situation is exactly what English is doing as he begins his road to recovery. As he sat in the living room of his home and told his story, he never once portrayed the despair that some people face when tragedy strikes.
English said giving up and failing to overcome the obstacles that arrive is not in his nor his family’s DNA. English told himself and his family that he wasn’t ready to die and that he was going to overcome this tragedy.
“I was not giving up,” English said. “It’s a scary situation. I believe in The Lord, I always have, but I don’t believe that I have ever thought about dying … it brings you closer to The Lord.”
Caroline English said God had been preparing their family for this situation even before the accident. With their children all grown and a house to themselves, they decided to move into a smaller home which since the accident, has been more accessible for Lonnie than their previous house would have been.
Throughout this entire journey, both of them have always believed that with the support of so many people in and out of the Clayton community, they would get through it all and be better at the end.
English is now on the road to recovery where he will continue to strengthen his leg, overcome adversity and be a symbol to many who also experience tragedy. He plans to receive a prosthetic for the lower half of his leg in the spring and get back to playing golf while also traveling around the country with his family.
“Just don’t give up,” English said. “Life goes on … everything is what you make it.”