By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
A veteran lawn mower racer was injured Saturday night at Ellerbe Lions Club Speedway in Ellerbe and airlifted for further medical treatment.
The condition of Rex Crouch Sr. was unknown as of 9:30 p.m., but he suffered reportedly serious but non-lifethreatening injuries. It’s believed that he suffered a leg wound.
At about 6:50 p.m., first-responders — including FirstHealth EMS, Ellerbe Rescue Squad and Ellerbe Fire Department — converged upon the speedway, located off Pressley Rankin Highway at Millstone Road and McCaskill Drive.
Ellerbe volunteer firefighters were deployed to mark a landing zone on Firetower Road off of Pressley Rankin Road. A decision was soon made, however, to transport the victim by FirstHealth EMS to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst via Highway 73 and have Crouch airlifted from that location. An Ellerbe Rescue Squad volunteer drove the ambulance so both FirstHealth EMS personnel could tend to the victim.
Lawn mower racing’s return to the Ellerbe track continues to suffer setbacks. After an eight-week suspension that saw the management of lawn mower racing change hands, new managers were set to begin racing in early August. Rain, however, washed out the evening’s festivities and pushed the grand re-opening back to Aug. 24.
