Two walk away from crash

Volunteer Fire Services Inc. firefighters attack flames from a truck and race car which plunged off Wheel Road at Halls Mill bridge late Saturday afternoon. (T-G Photo by David Melson) [Order this photo]

Two men narrowly escaped a fiery death late Saturday afternoon after their truck, which was pulling a trailer containing a dirt track race car, plunged off a steep embankment next to Halls Mill bridge on Wheel Road.

The truck's driver was identified as Matthew Shane Craig, 23, of Hilltop Drive, Shelbyville, by State Trooper Jackie Smith. Howard Bowen was riding in the truck with Craig, according to a family member.

Investigators said the men were thrown from the truck and were walking at the scene. Both were treated and released at Bedford County Medical Center, said Todd Carter, of Volunteer Fire Services, Inc.

"They were coming from the track (Duck River Speedway) on Wheel Road and came around (a curve) too fast," Smith said.

The full-size truck and trailer left the road at about 5 p.m., overturning down the rocky bluff as they fell, and landed on their roofs a few feet from Duck River. The trailer and race car overturned as well, stopping upside down next to the truck.

Both vehicles caught fire after the crash. Firefighters parked on the bridge and scaled the bluff to fight the flames while Bedford County Emergency Medical Service reached the victims via boat.

Several VFSI firefighters estimated the height of the bluff, which is nearly vertical, as 50 to 60 feet.

"They're lucky they lived. That's a long fall," Smith said.

VFSI provided one of the boats used to ferry personnel, with nearby residents Jason and Valerie Moore providing another boat.

"We couldn't even see them," Valerie Moore said. "We just saw the smoke coming from the truck.

"We ran down to the river and they were on the opposite side of the bridge sitting up on the bank."

A large wrecker was brought to the scene to remove the truck and race car, which caught fire again at about 8:45 as removal attempts were in progress.

"It was close to midnight before they finished removing the vehicles," Carter said. "We stayed and assisted the wrecker crew with lights and brought them back and forth across the river."

Craig drives in the Rookie Pony division at Duck River Speedway, track co-owner Jim Hastings said. Races were cancelled late Saturday afternoon due to rain.