A Cullman County Sheriff’s deputy remains hospitalized and continues to recover following a crash early Tuesday that injured and stranded both him and his K-9 companion in a ravine off Alabama Highway 69. 

At a press conference Wednesday, sheriff Matt Gentry said deputy Adam Clark remained in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital, but had begun to show signs of improvement a day after the single-vehicle accident. 

Clark and his K-9 dog partner Figo were traveling eastbound in a Chevrolet Tahoe patrol cruiser when heavy rain and hazardous road conditions, said Gentry, caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and plunge into a steep ravine between Bremen and Dodge City. 

The accident occurred between 3 and 4 a.m. Tuesday, and left both victims stranded for approximately an hour until an officer with the Cullman Police Department spotted the vehicle after GPS tracking placed law enforcement in the vicinity of the crash, Gentry added.

Figo is being treated at a K-9 veterinary facility at Auburn University, where the animal is undergoing CT and MRI scanning to assess the extent of its injury. 

Gentry did not offer details on the extent of Clark’s injuries, but said Clark’s family is grateful to the community for its outpouring of support in the wake of Tuesday’s accident. 

“One of the things that the family wanted me to convey is how much they appreciate everybody who has assisted in this, from yesterday morning until today,” Gentry said at Wednesday’s press conference. “They can’t thank you enough for your prayers; your support.

“…Today, Adam has made a lot of progress,” he added. “We were at the hospital earlier, talking with the family. And the positive is that we are seeing progress constantly. We’re not out of danger yet, but we are making progress in a critical situation.”

Clark has been with the sheriff’s office for five years, and has been paired with Figo as a two-officer K-9 unit for the past year. Gentry said that Clark and Figo make an effective team, with Clark even having finished in second place last year at a national K-9 competition held in Georgia.

The accident occurred near the County Road 117 intersection along Highway 69. In addition to the response from CCSO and Cullman Police, the search and rescue effort involved personnel from local volunteer fire departments, as well as Cullman EMS, the Morgan County Sheriff‘s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Huntsville Police Department, the Falkville Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the staff at Huntsville Hospital.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.