Local Man Sustains Internal Injuries In Accident

A Blountstown man was rushed to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Shands in Gainesville Tuesday morning after a single vehicle crash on Hwy. 69 North.Daniel Temple, 20, reportedly sustained several internal injuries in the accident, including a ruptured aorta, spleen, and liver. According to Trooper Dallas Jones of the Florida Highway Patrol, Temple was behind the wheel of a Hummer H3 headed southbound on Hwy. 69 around 4:30 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree. His speed was estimated at 45 mph at the time of impact.Members of the Nettle Ridge Volunteer Fire Department rushed to the scene and used the Jaws of Life to extricate Temple from the vehicle. Assisting were deputies with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.Due to weather conditions, a helicopter was unable to fly Temple so he was taken by Calhoun County EMS to TMH and then transferred to Shands Hospital for further treatment.Temple is an officer at Calhoun Correctional Institution in Blountstown.