Man shoots himself while driving toward Smithville: Fortunately car doesn’t collide with another vehicle
A man pulled out a gun and shot himself Saturday evening while driving on Highway 56 North near Gath.
The victim, Grady L. Murphy, 24, of Smithville, is under treatment at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga for a single gunshot wound to the chest. He was airlifted to the facility by LifeForce helicopter shortly following the apparent suicide attempt.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Murphy was driving on Highway 56 along with a female passenger around 6 p.m. when he reportedly told the woman he had nothing to live for. Moments later he pulled out a .25 caliber pistol which the woman apparently did not know was inside the car. He then placed the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger, wounding himself in the center of his chest.
Although wounding himself, the victim was able to negotiate his vehicle to a stop and was found in the driver’s side of his vehicle when lawmen arrived at the location in front of Gath Church.
The female passenger reportedly pushed on Murphy’s leg to force it onto the brake pedal to bring the car to a complete stop on the highway, thereby avoiding a crash. The passenger was not injured.