UPSON COUNTY, Ga. — Logan Gordy and Trista Cheeks are showing signs of improvement after their fire engine rolled over on Saturday, according to the family's Facebook post.
"I knew that it was going to be bad when I saw the truck. I was hoping for a great outcome, and I'm still hoping for a great outcome," interim EMA director for Upson County Richard Hickmon said.
Hickmon said he had just got home when he heard the call about the two accidents.
"Heard the first wreck that came in and shortly thereafter heard the second tone for the call that a fire truck had been in a rollover accident," Hickmon said.
According to Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore, Gordy and Cheeks were responding to another rollover car accident off Mud Bridge Road. Gordy lost control on a curve, and Gordy and Cheeks were ejected from the fire engine.
They were airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where Gordy was in a medically-induced coma, and Cheeks was taken to surgery. Kilgore says both have strong ties to the community.
"Logan is an employee here at here sheriff's office. He's been a jail officer for us since last October. And Trista is his fiancé," Kilgore said.
Gordy and Cheeks were expected to get married in October and were coming from an engagement photoshoot when they got the call. Kilgore says both are hardworking and have a heart for service.
"I think it's important to understand that this accident involved two individuals that were responding to the scene as volunteers. They were not compensated; they were going because they wanted to go to help other people. And I think often time our volunteers go unnoticed and unrecognized, and that's unfortunate," Kilgore said.
Gordy comes from a family of first responders.
"His dad, his mother, his stepfather are all volunteer firefighters and have been involved in our public safety community a long time," Kilgore said.
Gordy became a jail officer for Upson County in October 2022. He became a volunteer firefighter when he was 18 years old. Cheeks joined him a month ago. Both are described as hardworking and willing to serve their community.
"We're thinking about y'all, we're hoping for the best, we're praying for y'all, and we know you're going to make it," Hickmon said.
According to Hickmon, a local motorcycle group in Upson is planning a benefit ride for Gordy and Cheeks.