Around 4:30 a.m. today the driver of a van apparently fell asleep at the wheel, sending his vehicle plowing into the monument. The impact was enough to shift the pedestal on its base and toppled the statue. As of this writing an auto shop is working to free the Confederate soldier's head from the hull of the van.
No word yet on what's going to be done with the monument. It would be great to see it restored, given how it's become such a notable figure on the downtown landscape.
Special thanks to Ernie Morris for providing the photo!
EDIT 12:12 p.m. EST: WGHP Fox 8 photojournalist Chris Weaver has posted this pic of the statue on his Facebook page. And there are more photos accompanying the Fox 8 story about the accident...
Okay, 'fess up: who else living around here has Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" running through your head while looking at this?
In all seriousness though: it's great that nobody was injured, and here's hoping that the monument can soon be restored to its former condition.
(And hey, who knows: this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I mean, it could finally give us Reidsvillians the opportunity to settle once and for all which direction the soldier is supposed to be facing! :-P)
Wow. Better watch out, someone might want to post TSA by statues now because of this.
ReplyDeleteDoubt it's anything more than just an accident. It's a real wonder that this hasn't happened decades ago already!! The monument sits in the middle of what's called Monument Plaza, with *nothing* in the way of barricade etc. to have prevented a collision at all. I've gone around the monument a hunnerd zillion times probably and every time, couldn't help but think it was too vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteIt was just a matter of time before an accident like this was going to happen.
Yeah, but lately everyone wants TSA for everything, real and unreal alike, next it will be bee stings that will require TSA to guard honey farms ...
ReplyDeleteDARNIT CHRIS! After looking at your update and new pic I was reminded of that retarded toxic waste scene in RoboCop :(
ReplyDeleteGlad to see it was an accident that caused the damage and not vandals - which was my first thought when I saw the headline.
ReplyDeleteBorn in Reidsville in 1945 and lived here all my life, this is first time I have heard it called Monument Plaza.
ReplyDeleteI've only heard it called Monument Plaza in the past few short years, around the time the city put the flowers and such around the base. Until then it was just the Confederate Soldiers Monument but the flowers and expanded "traffic island" around it made it into a "plaza"...
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't really call it "Monument Plaza" either, as a matter of common practice. To me it's still just "the monument" :-)
This seems to be an opportune time to honor former City Manager Kelly Almond.
ReplyDeleteI can see it now: a statue of Kelly Almond, emblazoned with "FORCED ANNEXATION FOREVER"
ReplyDelete(Some things, people should *never* stop being bitter about...)
One friend suggested a statue of Dr. Fred Klenner, since his office wasn't far away and he achieved such worldwide err... "interest" in his work. However I've no doubt that the actions of son Fritz would put the kerbosh on THAT idea.
Maybe a statue of Judge Susie Sharp is needed somewhere :-)