Monticello Live

Doug Knight was born in Springhill, LA, but his family moved to Drew County when he was 2 years old.  Doug grew up in the Plantersville area, and graduated from Drew Central High School.

Doug continued his education by taking industrial electricity classes at Pines vo-tech in Pine Bluff.

Doug spent 7 years working on off-shore oil drilling rigs, including locations such as Hamburg, Germany; West Africa; Brazil; Norwich, England; and the California coast.

Doug worked as an electrician for the Price Companies from 1990-1994, while serving as a founding officer of the auxiliary Drew County deputy program. In 1994, he became a full time deputy.  He is responsible for starting the original Drew County Drug Dog fund in July of 1996, and was there when the dog was purchased in October of the same year.

On November 20, 1996, Doug was working the evening shift for the sheriff’s dept. on a foggy, rainy night. Around 11 p.m., Sonny Bunch, the dispatcher received a 911 call from a cabin at a fishing camp in the Lake Wallace area.

The 911 system had only been in operation for a couple of months at that time, and many “false calls” were coming in, while the system was being “fine-tuned”.  They were able to determined who owned the camp, contacted him, and confirmed that someone was staying there at the time.

As Doug’s patrol car was nearing the Paradise Road intersection on HWY 35 East (near the old fire tower), reports show that his car hit something in the road, which bent his tire’s rim, causing it to lock, and throwing the patrol car into the deep ditch, until it hit the embankment of Paradise Road.  The vehicle came to rest on it’s side, against the first electric pole across the road.

When they found Doug, he was leaning against the trunk of his car , but no one was able to explain how he got there. Doug just says, “the Lord had his hand on me that day.”

He was transported to Drew Memorial Hospital by ambulance.  The weather had Med-evac’s helicopter grounded because of fog.

When Doug arrived at UAMS, he underwent 10-11 hours of surgery due to spinal cord swelling. There were 4 vertebraes that were either broken, fractured, or shattered.  He spent 16 days in the hospital, and then 3 months in the Baptist Physical Rehab Unit, followed by 2 years of physical rehabilitation at home.

Although he has had a lot of trouble over the past couple years, Doug has, and should again be able to enjoy an “almost normal” life, by use of an electric wheelchair and a handicapped access van, which he is able to drive.

Doug was appointed to the Arkansas Rehabilitation Council by Gov. Mike Huckabee, and served 5 years in that position.

“I’m very fortunate, and very blessed to be able to do what I can do.  I remember being in the hospital, and only being able to nod my head a little.”

Across his bed, Isee a “table”, Doug sees a “command center”, complete with his laptop, phone, meds, water cup, remote controls for TV-DVD-Etc., razor, pens, light switch, electronic door release, and intercom.

Although if you get his answering machine which often tells callers that he’s running a marathon in Little Rock, he’s usually at home, for now,

Doug’s favorites include:

Phrase-It could be worse.

Restaurant-“I like them all.”

TV show-Law & Order, NCIS, moto-cross racing, and Professional Bull Riding.

Movie-Clint Eastwood’s In The Line Of Duty.

Actor-Tommie Lee Jones and the 3 Stooges.

Music-country and gospel bluegrass.

Song or Hymn-Amazing Grace and Why Me, Lord.

Author-Louis Lamour

Book-the Bible.

Scripture-I Corinthians 10:13.

Doug told me, “I’m here because of the grace of God, and the support of my family. The people who surround me make me strong, it’s not me by myself.”

Doug Knight, thank you for your service to Drew County, the example you set for the rest of us, and for sharing your One Monticello Life.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pm and is filed under Feature: OML, Police /Legal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.