In 2013, Vernon Pruitt retired from the Tennessee Highway Patrol after serving 32 years. He completed the Accident Reconstruction course in 1999 and became a Trooper Reconstructionist for Troop A, Memphis District. He served on the Critical Incident Response Team from March 15, 2005 till November 1, 2007 investigating crimes and high-profile crashes in the 21 county area between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers.

In 2014, Vernon Pruitt also retired from US Naval Reserves after serving 27 years as a Master-st-Arms. He retired with the rank of Chief. His primary Naval Enlistment Classification Code was 2002 (Command Criminal Investigator) with a secondary code of 0812 (Small Arms Instructor). In the spring of 2001, he was one of 6 reservists selected as a pilot project to work as adjunct instructors at the Joint Services Law Enforcement Training Academy in San Antonio TX where he taught Accident Investigation, Crime Scene Response, and Use of Force.

In 1993, Mr. Pruitt graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Studies with 15 electives in Criminal Justice. In 2013, he received his Masters of Science in Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin with 18 hours of Criminal Justice electives.

His specialized schools include but are not limited to:
- THP Recruit School
- Basic Traffic Accident Investigation
- Advanced Traffic Accident Investigation
- Traffic Accident Reconstruction
- Computerized Collision Diagramming
- North American Standard Level III
- Grade Crossing Collision Investigation
- Traffic Crash Investigations Involving Pedestrians
- Post Crash Mechanical Exam
- Tire Forensics
- Command Criminal Investigator
- Advanced Crime Scene Investigative Techniques
- How To Use The Bosch CDR Tool
- Bosch CDR Tool Technician Training
- Event Data Recorder Use in Traffic Crash Reconstruction - Level 1

He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the National Association of Traffic Accident Reconstructionist and Investigators, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Retired Officers Association.