An early morning fishing trip nearly ended before it began for a Robbins man. Despite the circumstances, he was able to walk away from a single-vehicle accident outside Eastwood around 5 a.m. Sunday.

The driver was the sole occupant of the Ford SUV as he traveled on Beulah Hill Church Road near Highway 73 toward Taylortown when he struck a fallen tree and overturned.

“I hit the tree and I hit the brakes but it was wet so I slid. I tried to avoid most of the tree so I went into the other lane and went through the tree,” the driver told the Sandhills Sentinel.

After hitting the tree, the car overturned and landed on its side.

This was the second fallen tree in eight hours to cause an accident. Shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday night, a driver struck a fallen tree in the northern part of the county.

“When I fell into the passenger seat, my shoulder popped out and back in. I was able to get up and climb out the door,” the driver said.

The SUV’s windshield was shattered and there was also heavy damage to the driver and passenger sides. The SUV is considered a total loss due to the extensive damage, but the fishing trip was not affected. After a check by Moore County EMS on the scene, the man continued on his fishing trip. He joked to the Sandhills Sentinel that “I deserve to catch a 10.”

The State Highway Patrol did not issue any citations as the driver was not speeding and no fault was found for the accident.

“It could have been worse. If I had hit it head-on and not swerved, I would have come to a complete stop,” the driver explained.

Sandhills Sentinel spoke with the driver Sunday afternoon and he is doing well. He has a small scratch on one of his knuckles, but he may have thrown away all his luck by walking away from the accident. Unfortunately, he reports that the fishing trip was not a success.

Main photo: A car overturns on Beulah Hill Church Road on July 21, 2024. Photo courtesy.

~Article by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. Curtis has been writing for the Sandhills Sentinel since 2019.

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