A man was seriously injured Sunday afternoon in Broomtown. 

According to family members a bizarre sequence of events began as the man was cleaning a .22 caliber gun and accidentally shot himself in the lower abdomen. That’s when they say he panicked and attempted to drive himself to a family member’s home for help.  As he was driving, the man blacked out on Highway 35 – wrecked – and flipped his vehicle, becoming trapped inside.  He was taken from the scene of the crash to a nearby landing zone where he was air-lifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. The family says he was stable as he was loaded aboard the helicopter.

The Broomtown Fire Department, Floyd EMS, and Rescue Squad and various Sheriff’s Office deputies, in addition to Alabama State Troopers, responded. 

Family members said they would like to thank all the agencies involved for their professionalism and timely response.