Well-known tortoise hit by car in downtown Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A well-known tortoise named Spike is recovering at a local animal hospital after being hit by a car in a church parking lot.

A handful of police cars, a firetruck and a dozen first responders worked to save the life of the huge tortoise after receiving a call that he was injured.

“When I came out to the parking lot, he was being pulled out from underneath the car and I saw that he was kind of split on the side and on the top shell.  It's pretty tragic,” Shelia Stoots, a Wayside resident said.

Stoots was on the ground trying to bring comfort to her longtime friend, who was accidentally run over in the Wayside Christian Mission parking lot.  Stoots calls the Wayside Christian Mission home.  When she heard the news, she says she rushed out to be by her friend's side.

“I went over to console him and kind of keep his eyes rolling.  And he's a little bit of consciousness there,” she said.

Spike is a 13-year-old African tortoise. Police say Spike was in the parking lot at Wayside when he was hit by a car.

“When I come to see him not moving. It kind of stunned me,” Michael Covington, another Wayside resident said.

Like Covington, many have gotten to know Spike over the years.  Spike's caretaker, William Duncan, is a recovering alcoholic who lives at the Mission.  For years, he's awed people in Downtown Louisville, taking him for walks regularly.  He says it served as therapy for him while in recovery and Spike's also become a fixture for his Wayside community as well.

“He's very apart of the Wayside Christian Ministry family. You mention Spike and everybody knows who you're talking about and that you would say is the family turtle,” Covington said.

With police escort, Spike was rushed to the Shively Animal Hospital.  At this point the vet says his long term prognosis is uncertain.  But his family certainly will be waiting for his speedy recovery.