Rankin County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Makenzi Taylor was recognized at the Darkhorse Press Mississippi Front Line Hero Awards for helping save the life of a severely injured Mississippi Department of Corrections employee after a vehicle crash.
The awards were held Nov. 9 at Bravo in Jackson. They recognize Mississippi first responders nominated for acts of courage, compassion and service.
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The employee crashed his agency vehicle on Thomasville Road near Monterey. Damage to the vehicle left rescuers with little room to reach him, so Taylor removed her duty belt and protective vest, crawled through a narrow opening and began providing first aid.
Taylor’s actions helped keep the driver’s airway open and saved his life. Therese Apel, founder of Darkhorse Press and the awards, said Taylor’s courage and quick thinking saved the driver’s life.
Taylor received a certificate from Apel at the 2026 awards in Jackson, according to the photo caption.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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