Mississippi State Trooper Mitchell Chappell spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson about his survival and recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the Club’s May 14, 2019 meeting. Trooper Chappell was injured on September 11, 2016, while responding to a call about a wreck on Interstate 55 when his cruiser hydroplaned sending him into a tree-filled median. He was evacuated by MHP troopers, and taken to King's Daughters' Hospital in Brookhaven and ultimately transferred to UMMC in Jackson. Trooper Chappell suffered other injuries but the most severe was the TBI.
Following the accident, he remained at UMMC for 30 days after which he was transferred to the Select Specialty Hospital in Ridgeland to continue his recovery. Ultimately he was transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. Seven months after his injury, Trooper Chappell was discharged from the Shepherd Center and returned home to MS. Trooper Chappell showed photos of himself shortly after his injury at the Select Specialty Hospital and at the Shepherd Center. He still has no memory of the accident or of what happened before he arrived at the Shepherd Center. HIs presentation to the Rotary Club was his first public speaking engagement since his injury, nearly three years ago. Trooper Chappell is shown in the following photo with Club Secretary Lee Carney following his speech. We thank him for his speech and for his service to the citizens of Mississippi.
