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Cumberland Pkwy Stories: Just an ordinary day for a toll collector By Geniece Leftwich Marcum Story from April issue of Senior Quest magazine, Edmonton, KY Marchs issue of Senior Quest carried an article on the robbery of the Edmonton Toll Gate once located on Cumberland Parkway. The story of course, brought to mind other incidents which took place there, involving collectors and a few close encounters with big trucks. These true stories are in no way meant as a slap at the trucking profession. Any collector will readily admit that some of the best drivers in the world were regulars on Cumberland Parkway. They were careful, courteous and always mindful of the laws of the road. But as in everything, there are exceptions to the good driver rule, and brakes do sometimes fail; that type of thing. The stories are being printed here purely as fodder for the scrapbooks of old Toll collectors. Our only regret is that we do not have photos to go along with the articles. Before Eugene Harlow began driving the vault truck, he worked for some time as a toll collector at the Edmonton Toll Plaza. One day while he was busy taking care of a motorist who stopped to pay the fare, a semi truck running at a high rate of speed, attempted to pass thru an inside lane without stopping. The driver didnt quite make it though. Striking the barrier out front, the truck bounced over and caught onto Eugenes booth, about five inches from where he stood working. With a frightful sound the glass and steel structure flew apart. Some of its pieces were strewn all the way up to the Edmonton exit, where the truck jackknifed and finally came to a stop. Eugene looked at the mess now scattered all over the lanes, where last nights third shift attendants had worked eight whole hours hosing down and scrubbing. It didnt seem possible that all this wreckage could have taken place in just a matter of seconds. It didnt seem possible either that Eugene escaped without a scratch! The man didnt appear to be the least bit shook up over his close encounter with that semi just minutes ago. He just went on about his duties; setting up shop in the next booth, getting ready to collect toll from there as soon as a path could be cleared for traffic to get through. Everybody would be working there now, until a new booth was brought in to replace the former one. Janet Bell, a co-worker, who was working the opposite side of the road in lane twelve saw and heard the accident and later commented how in the world he escaped getting killed she would never know. As the day wore on I kept looking for Eugene to go to pieces over his ordeal. Ordinarily a person would get a real case of the shakes or at least break out in a cold sweat after an experience such as his had been. But he remained calm as if hed just been on a riverbank somewhere fishing all day. That Eugene! He always was the beatin-est man! This story was posted on 2007-04-09 11:19:07
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. (AD) - Many Reunion organizing efforts are also advertised in our REUNIONS category in our CM Classifeds. These are posted at a very low cost. See RATES & TERMS More articles from topic Local History:
Fonthill, KY: A wonderful and peaceful place to reside Victory today will give ACHS boys 4th trip to State Tournament Local history: The Great Edmonton Toll Plaza Robbery Jason Harmon: The photo of my Great Great Grandpappy Feedback: Cabins in the Sky photo brings back memories History on Wigwam Villages tidied up, enhanced, a bit Letter: More from McGaha from Jason Harmon Feedback: More on kin of folks at McGaha Store Letter: Odis Sinclair adds information on McGaha store The Old Log Church: Memories of the sweet, sweet sound of Gospel Music View even more articles in topic Local History |
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