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RESCUE workers and police responded to a three-vehicle wreck in Rt. 638, near Pilgrims Knob Tuesday afternoon. North Grundy Supervisor Joe Keene and his co-worker at Jewell, Robert Frank Goff, died as a result of injuries sustained when the vehicle in which they were riding was struck head-on by a gravel truck, according to State Police Trooper J.A. Boyd. In the top photo, rescue workers move Keene's body from the scene of the accident. In the bottom photo, Keene's vehicle is seen at left where it came to rest on the embankment. The wheels of the loaded gravel truck, laying on its side, can be seen in the right portion of the photo.
(Staff photos/Mike Stiltner.) |
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Supervisor, Co-Worker Die in Crash
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by
Cathy
St.
Clair
News
Editor |
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A three-vehicle accident Tuesday on Rt. 638 at Pilgrim’s Knob claimed the lives of two Buchanan County men.
North Grundy Supervisor Joe Keene and his Jewell Smokeless Coal Company co-worker, Robert Frank Goff, died from injuries sustained in the 1:15 p.m. wreck, according to Virginia State Police Trooper J.A. Boyd.
Boyd said Keene, 52, of HC61, Grundy, was operating a 2001 GMC Sierra truck on Rt. 638, traveling toward Pilgrims Knob at the time his vehicle was struck head-on by a 2000 Kenworth truck loaded with gravel. Goff, age unavailable, of Council, was a passenger in the truck.
The gravel truck was being operated by Paul David Kennedy, 38, of Pounding Mill.
Neither Kennedy, nor a 16-year-old juvenile passenger in his truck, were injured, the trooper said.
Boyd said it appeared that Kennedy’s truck had crossed the center of the roadway as Kennedy was traveling toward Whitewood. He said the truck apparently sideswiped a Noah Horn water truck traveling toward Pilgrim’s Knob and being operated by Randy Wilson, 47, of Vansant. Boyd said Wilson was not injured.
After the gravel truck sideswiped the water truck, Boyd said Kennedy apparently lost control of the vehicle and it struck Keene’s truck which was traveling behind the water truck.
The gravel truck overturned, spilling its load of gravel on the roadway. Keene’s vehicle was slammed into the embankment.
Keene was initially pinned in the vehicle and died at the scene.
Goff was transported to the Twin Valley High School football field where he was med-flighted to Bristol Regional Medical Center. Boyd said he received word around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday that Goff also died as a result of injuries he sustained in the wreck.
Investigation is continuing into the cause of the wreck, Boyd said, adding a state police accident reconstruction team is expected to visit later this week.
Both men were remembered by Jewell as long-time employees and a company spokesman indicated Tuesday night, the company had suffered a great loss as a result of their deaths.
Keene, who was a member of the board of supervisors at the time of his death, was remembered by many who knew him in that capacity (see related story, this issue).
Funeral arrangements had not been made and no further details were available at press time Tuesday.
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For more of the
story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at
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Joe Keene Remembered for His Service to County
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by
Cathy
St.
Clair
News
Editor |
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North
Grundy
Supervisor
Joe
Keene
was
remembered
Tuesday
by
almost
all
who
knew
him
as
soft-spoken,
hard-working
and
a
man
of
his
word.
He and a co-worker, Robert Frank Goff,
died
Tuesday
afternoon
following
injuries
sustained
in
a
three-vehicle
wreck
at
Pilgrims
Knob(see
related
story,
this
issue).
Keene, 52, was the former chairman of
the
Buchanan
County
Board
of
Supervisors.
He
had
also
previously
served
the
county
as
chairman
of
the
Buchanan
County
School
Board.
Funeral arrangements had
not
been
made
at
press
time.
His death Tuesday afternoon came as a
shock
to
family
and
friends
and
especially
to
those
who
had
spent
all
day
on
Monday
with
him
during
the
February
meeting
of
the
Buchanan
County
Board
of
Supervisors.
A special called meeting of the board
was
set
for
Wednesday
morning
in
order
for
board
members
to
pay
their
respects
to
Keene
and
to
adopt
a
resolution
honoring
Keene
for
his
service
to
the
board
and
to
the
county.
Flags began flying at half staff at
the
courthouse
on
Tuesday
afternoon
within
hours
of
Keene’s
death.
"It was a terrible shock," South Grundy
Chairman
Roger
Rife
said
Tuesday
afternoon.
"I
sat
beside
him
just
yesterday
and
talked
to
him
and
today,
he’s
gone.
It’s
really
just
a
shock."
County Administrator W.J. Caudill
was
on
his
way
home
from
a
meeting
in
St.
Paul,
when
he
received
word
on
his
cell
phone
that
Keene
had
been
involved
in
the
wreck.
He arrived back in the county in time
to
follow
the
ambulance
carrying
Keene
as
it
made
its
way
up
Slate
Creek
to
Buchanan
General
Hospital.
"I’ve known Joe and his
family
my
whole
life,"
Caudill
said.
"I
grew
up
with
them."
"There are no words to say. These kind of
things
are
a
terrible
shock,
especially
when
they
involve
natural
born
leaders,"
Caudill
said.
"Joe
was
a
quiet,
peaceful,
honest,
hard-working
man."
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For more of the
story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at
newsstands now. To subscribe to the Mountaineer,
call 276-935-2123 today.
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