Rachel Smith was up early on Saturday morning to cheer for runners at the RC Cola-Moon Pie Festival race held outside the volunteer fire department in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Everything was going smoothly until all of the typical race day sounds—shouts of encouragement, hard breathing, and sneakers on pavement—were interrupted by the shrill rev of a motorcycle.
“A few of us noticed two motorcycles, and they were speeding, so people started freaking out and pushing people out of the way, and throwing their kids off of the street and saying ‘Everybody get out of the way,’” Smith told WSMV4 News.
One of the riders burst through the race barricades, striking a senior runner participating in the event’s 5K race, flinging him into the air. Then, the motorcyclist sped off. Witnesses had to jump out of the way.
More From Runner’s World
In a video of the incident, people can be seen running when a fire truck suddenly blocks the road, and a police car rushes past them. Another bystander, Kim Smith, told WSMV, “One of the motorcyclists went around the fire truck and gunned his bike right into a man that was hit.”
“It was devastating to witness,” she said.
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
After being thrown into the air, the runner landed on the sidewalk, and people rushed to help him. Rachel Smith, who is a nurse, was one of them.
“I said, ‘Please, just give me blood pressure cuffs and a stethoscope. I need to listen to him,’” Smith said to WSMV. “So I listened to his abdomen, trying to hear anything, and I took his vitals, but the biggest thing was just to look him in the eyes and tell him everything was going to be okay.”
Another news station, WKRN, reported that the victim initially had trouble remembering his name.
According to police, the man was severely injured in the crash, and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is in stable condition. Bedford County deputies identified one of the two men they believe were involved. They were caught on camera nearby after fleeing the scene, but the sheriff’s office has not yet said if any arrests have been made.
Writer
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she’s written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner’s World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
