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Two walk away from crash

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
By David Melson

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.

Comments

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If your car gets trashed before you ever get it on the track, I think I would take this as a sign. Someone's trying to tell them to get out of racing.

-- Posted by justmytwocentsworth on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 11:31 AM

Thank goodness no one was hurt too bad. Another reason that we ought to be very proud of our first responders.

-- Posted by Black Swan on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 11:42 AM

Glad the two are safe.

-- Posted by Momof3&3step&1gran on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 12:57 PM

I would like to thank everyone that helped in getting the trailer and truck up and towed away safetly. It took a lot of team work from everyone there in doing this as safetly as possible. Rays, Clarks and Greens towing all worked together with the emergency workers and officers on the scene to get this done. God was definetly there looking over the driver and passenger of the car and everyone else involved.

-- Posted by justthinkingoutloud on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 3:48 PM

Mr. Bowen is my uncle. I just want to say that we are very happy that the both of them made it out alive. Thank you to all whom helped with the accident.

MLH

-- Posted by weras1 on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 8:12 PM

I would have to agree with justthinkingoutloud. It did take alot of teamwork from several different people to get the drivers to safety as well as the recovery of the vehicles. After watching this take place I now know that if I ever need a wrecker service Ray's Paint and Body will be the only one that I call.

-- Posted by bedford32 on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 6:08 AM

Ray's would be the last place I would call if my sources are correct. They attempted to remove the truck and allowed it to explode by not knowing what to do. They were replaced in the efforts by Mike's Towing and Haskins.

-- Posted by shadowgypsy on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 8:51 AM

I would replace your sources if I were you shadowgypsy.

-- Posted by justthinkingoutloud on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 9:11 AM

Seems as though my sources were pretty accurate since it was a fire fighter on he scene. There are pictures of Haskins big wrecker pulling up the race car and it being loaded on Mike's towing's rollback. The pictures don't lie.

-- Posted by shadowgypsy on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 10:33 AM

Replaced is the wrong word in this tale but it was AGREED that Mikes and Haskins could get the race car sinces Rays trucks were loaded but needless to say like I said before God was watching everyone and there was alot of team work from the people involved. I was on the scene and the whole time and it was nice to see everyone working together.

-- Posted by justthinkingoutloud on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 10:44 AM

Smooth move Craaaaaaaaaaaig

-- Posted by Newbomb_Turk on Wed, May 20, 2009, at 3:44 PM