Put up your dukes
RCMP officer Cpl. Dal Hutchinson couldn’t help but think this was a ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ episode gone terribly wrong and he wasn’t the only one after this Charger got hung up.
Halifax
Cpl. Dal Hutchinson couldn’t help but think this was a Dukes of Hazzard episode gone terribly wrong.
He’s not the only one. Various images of an orange 1969 Dodge Charger — the model that’s synonymous with the yesteryear hit television show — sitting crumpled against a rocky embankment on Highway 102, are quickly making the rounds on social media.
“I’m just looking at the pictures on social media and I’ve seen several people sharing the photos and that’s what I’m thinking,” said Hutchinson, spokesman for the Halifax District RCMP. “Dukes of Hazzard. Having grown up watching that show it’s the first thing that I thought.
“One of the things we’ll be looking at will be what was the speed, was there mechanical issues with the vehicle? Those are questions I raise in my own head.”
Hutchinson said that at about 2:40 p.m. on Monday, Halifax RCMP officers responded to a single-car accident that occurred near Exit 5a, near Dollar Lake Provincial Park.
He said the vehicle left the highway and came to rest on the rock embankment at the off-ramp.
The 45-year-old male driver was transported to hospital with
non-life-threatening injuries.
Hutchinson said impaired driving hasn’t been ruled out.
“That’s something that our members will be looking at as part of our investigation, but given that the man was transported to hospital, that’s prolonging our ability to determine whether alcohol was a contributing factor. It’s definitely something we’re going to be looking at, but I can’t confirm if charges have been laid.
“In any collision, we’re fortunate if there are no injuries involved, definitely so in this case. It sounds like non-life-threatening injuries. Very fortunate.”
Several questions remained unanswered.
“How does a vehicle end up in a location like that? Those are all the things we’re going to look at.
It’s received some damage, that’s for sure. It’s definitely a car that catches your eye if you see it on the highway.”
Bob Martin was on his way to Truro when he encountered the wreckage. It’s a memory he’d like to forget, given his fondness for vintage cars. He rebuilt a 1953 GMC truck recently.
“I felt sick to my stomach all the way up to Truro,” said Martin. “I was like, ‘Oh, man.’ I just felt really bad for the guy.”
Martin said he believes the car’s owner purchased the vehicle in Texas and showcased it in car shows around the province.
“They’re difficult to find, especially in the shape that car was in. It was in really good shape. But the most important thing is he’s OK.”