A dangerous jump in the style of “The Dukes of Hazzard”
In Somerset, Kentucky, a show themed around the cult series “The Dukes of Hazzard” nearly ended in tragedy. While performing a stunt, an imitation General Lee car, after jumping over a fountain, almost hit an operator.
The jump was performed by stuntman Ray Conn from the Northeast Ohio Dukes team. His Ford Crown Victoria, modified to resemble the legendary 1969 Dodge Charger, flew 46 meters over the city’s central fountain, the water of which was specially dyed blue for effect.
“The footage is incredible, the jump is no less impressive than in the original series, but now in high quality and from different angles”
A dangerous moment and historical parallels
Unlike the television version, where editors concealed the consequences of hard landings, the audience saw real mechanical destruction. The car landed at an angle and, with a broken suspension, sped straight towards the operator. Fortunately, he managed to jump aside.
This incident was reminiscent of the tragedy in the 1980s when cameraman Rodney Mitchell died during the filming of the original series. The event in Somerset occurred just days after the death of Rick Hurst, the actor who played Cletus in the series.
Despite technological progress, such stunts remain dangerous. Modern equipment allows for better documentation of events but does not eliminate the risks. We can only be glad that this time there were no casualties, and the fans got vivid impressions.