From the Inbox – Historical Crozet Accident

Referencing this post from last week about the Good Samaritan –

I’ve lived in suburb’s of Atlanta since moving from Crozet during 1967. I lived in the ole’ Crozet, following graduation from UVa in 1959, until 1967. The Crozet you loved and describe in your recently published, rather nostalgic article, of ‘Longing for Old Crozet.’ I remember well the Crozet Drug store and setting at the marble countered soda fountain and I too miss those days and some very close friends that are still living there. Many now have passed including Conway Stanley the local druggist who owned the store and beloved soda fountain.

Your e-mail, regarding your automobile accident, jogged my memory of another long ago accident that occurred at night on Highway 250, near intersection with the road leading into downtown Crozet. It occurred in front of a then rather popular restaurant that today I believe a small strip mall sits. That eventful night on 250 several young people were drag racing and one killed upon their car turning over, driver being thrown out, hit, and dragged beneath the small MG that supposedly hit him…or so those involved testified. Actually, the MG turned out to be stolen as police awoke and eventually cleared student who owned the MG. The really strange part of their story was the body of the dead boy, attached by his belt beneath the MG, was in rather good shape. The MG, with body beneath, was found on the UVa campus parked in it’s usual parking space across from the owners dormitory that sits adjacent to the old campus cemetery.

As I recall the police questioned how the body could have been dragged, under the small MG, that many miles and be in such good condition? To my knowledge it was a puzzle that to this day is still unanswered. I recalled they questioned the restaurant owner, who police suspected may have had involvement in the car racing, and he retained a Greenwood attorney by the name of Hank Tiffany. Hank was a regular at the Old Crozet Drug store. Hank, I believe was killed in a mid-air plane collision with a military F-15 that was scrambled to intersect him upon his aircraft entering an ADZ zone off outer banks of North Carolina. There was always something of excitement going on in the ole’ Crozet.

I’m glad to learn that you survived your automobile accident due to a good Samaritan and hope you find him to thank. Should you ever come across the mystery details of the young man found beneath the MG, on that fateful night of drag racing on Highway 250, I would like to learn if the police ever solved the puzzle?

Regards,

Dick Pharr

Editor’s note – thank you for the recent flurry of emails and stories! I sincerely appreciate the readers and the correspondence!