A Tribute to an Old Wrecker

Photo courtesy of Lonnie Kees

By Sukie Carruth


Back when I was kid in junior college up the road in Wesson, I accidentally drove my date's pickup over a washed-out culvert and deep into a ditch, late on a foggy night. There was no getting it out –- the front wheel was firmly in the ditch and the back passenger tire was completely off the ground.

After trying everything we knew, we gave up and hiked over to Highway 51 and started walking south, not sure what to do. Finally, headlights brightened the night and a car topped the hill behind us. We stuck out our thumbs, but, the car blew past us. 

We were cursing our luck when the driver slammed on brakes and slowly backed up to where we stood, now unsure of who or what was about to confront us.

A former BHS classmate who happened to work with my father at Kees had recognized me, albeit on a 10 second delay. He rolled down the passenger window and wanted to know what in the dickens we were doing walking along an unlit highway in the middle of the night in the mist and the fog. 

As luck would have it, he happened to have the keys to this old wrecker in his jeans pocket. He drove us down to Brookhaven, we "stole" the wrecker, drove it back to Wesson and, hook ... whirr ... tug, yanked the pickup right out of the ditch. 

And it didn't cost me anything but my pride. We were sworn to secrecy because he could have gotten into trouble for taking the old truck without permission. I have only told this story maybe a half dozen times before. But, I think it's probably safe to do now, some 40 years out.

Now that I think about it, how lucky can you get? The first person we crossed paths with had the keys to a wrecker in his pocket. There's got to be some divine intervention in there somewhere.

Photo Courtesy of Todd Clary

Photo Courtesy of Todd Clary

Photo Courtesy of Todd Clary

Photo Courtesy of Todd Clary

Editor's Note: Todd Clary, who originally posted these photos on his blog, Waltzing in Perdition, and kindly granted permission to use, is married to a cute red head who hails from Brookhaven.