During the City of Goodlettsville Commission Meeting last night, six members of the Fire Department were recognized for outstanding service.
The following is Fire Chief Kenneth Reeves’ narrative recommending recognition of the first responders:
On Sunday, December 14, 2025, GFD A-Shift responded to a rollover crash involving a truck and trailer on Interstate 65 at the 99-mile marker. Temperatures were in the teens. Crews arrived to find a semi-truck horse trailer on its side. The occupants were out and walking, but inside the trailer were 17 full-sized horses piled together, with halters tied to the upper side of the trailer. Their heads and necks were suspended upward while their body weight rested on the lower side, causing severe breathing distress.
Crews began cutting halters from the outside while others forced entry into the tack room to retrieve equipment needed to secure the horses once removed. When interior access was gained, crews encountered a situation none had seen before, with horses tangled and lying on top of one another. A single gate divided the trailer, requiring extrication tools to open the mid-trailer gate after the first section was cleared.
Most horses were unable to stand on their own. Crews used straps, slings, winches, and a boom wrecker from West Nashville Towing to help lift them. All 17 horses were removed, all were able to stand, and only one sustained a serious injury.
After two hours of work in below-freezing temperatures, crews retrieved personal items, including expensive and hard-to-replace equipment, from the trailer.
This was a once-in-a-career call involving unpredictable risks, including moving animals weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Upon review, the crew handled the incident with skill, care, and urgency, leading to the best possible outcome for the horses, their owners, and the firefighters.
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