Around 10 a.m. on Thursday July 31st there was a fatal accident on Brawley School road in Mooresville, NC. For those not part of the victims family this may just seem like another news story that will fade away in a few days. The really sad part is, it was not a question of “IF” the driver at fault was going to kill somebody, but more so “WHEN”!
The white rollback truck with “TKPrep” lettering was heavily damaged, but the small truck with which it collided was unrecognizable. As I drove by the scene of the crash I broke out in tears realizing that what I knew was bound to happen finally did. Some poor innocent bystander is dead because one selfish jerk could not come to terms with his personal problem.
Timmy Kohuth was once a prominent crew chief in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; today he is in a hospital bed trying remember what happened. Soon he will find out that he will now have a chance to sober up for a long time, in jail - after possibly facing vehicular manslaughter charges.
The really crappy part of this story is that his personal truck had a breath analyzer installed after a recent DUI. So what do you do if you’re a daily drunk and want to get from place to place, you find a different vehicle to drive. Sadly his only other choice was the company behemoth, monster size car hauler.
TK Prep, Kohuth’s vintage car restoration business is beside my friend Jim’s show car company in a building near my (and Timmy’s) home in Mooresville. I stop by 2 or 3 times a week to visit and see what new projects are going on at both places. For the past three months each visit with Timmy became more and more confrontational. Some days he was loaded at 8:30 a.m. the next time I would see him, he would be fine at noon, but fall down drunk by 2p.m. Sad does not even begin to describe it. He and Jim had many arguments, his co-workers have tired to help, his former employees from Ultra motorsports have tried to help, I have tried time after time to help, with no results. His wife divorced him a few years ago. He lost his home. He has lost the respect of his children and now some other family has lost a loved one because of him.
I have to drive up and down Stutts road every day to get to my house. Tim has an apartment off the very same road. I had had to take evasive action and drive way off the road to avoid a collision with the big white truck on Wednesday. I picked up my cell phone and was ready to dial the police to report his eratic driving. However, he was almost to his entryway and I figured by the time the cops arrived, he would lock the apartment and just not answer the door. Boy I wish I had made that call…
Jim came to my house Wednesday night to help me with my project truck in my workshop. We each drank a few beers and multiple times Timmy’s name came up.
I said,” I sure wish I knew a solution to his problem!” My friend replied, “ We know he is going to kill someone, you better just hope its not you.”
The next day the prophecy was fulfilled. Most certainly this will be the tipping point for Timmy Kohuth. His life will change forever…. Sadly (as usual) the alleged drunk driver survives while the innocent had to die.
5 Comments to “It was just a matter of TIME”
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Ray - I am so saddened by this story. I have had my own personal experience dealing with someone who drank so much that it took over their lives (my husband of 32 years). For whatever reason, God kept him from harming anyone, though it could have easily happened. He has now been sober for 7 years and it is still difficult for us to look back and realize how many times he drove and I rode with him when he was in a stupor, unable to walk much less drive. We must have had an angel with us. As a NASCAR fan, we know how much drinking takes place in the stands at each race. Maybe this tragedy can be used to launch a movement among race fans to NOT LET THEIR FRIENDS DRIVE AFTER DRINKING! When someone has had too much to drink, you can’t let them be the judge of their ability to drive. One drink is enough to skew their judgement. Why would you even ask them if they are okay to drive. Let’s stop this from happening again. Do whatever it takes to get those keys. Call the police if you must. Who cares if they get mad. Better mad than dead or locked-up and living with the fact that you killed someone else. When you think maybe you should do something, DO SOMETHING!
It seems to me that by writing this article you are trying to rid yourself of the guilt you must be feeling today. Maybe if you had call the police on Wednesday or any of the numerous days you saw Tim Kohuth driving this truck the victim would still be alive and his wife would not be fighting for her life. But then again we are talking about someone involved in NASCAR. The “good ole boys” are still covering each others a–. Good to see some things never change.
you sure have the finger-pointing down pat. A true journalist indeed.
Hay Ray worked with Timmy at Ultra.There was alot of people that tried to help that guy out. As you well know you gotta want to.Eric and Kenny would take him to his AA meetings he would be sober then and would find out later he was hammered hours later.I have a friend who I have delt with also trying to help him. It all goes back to what I said earlier you gotta want to.Havnt been at the track in years dont know if you remeber me but I found out about your story just felt like I should respond to let you know I feel your pain. Keep up the good job on TV Donnie
Don’t beat yourself up over that phone call not made. I did call a year ago when he drove up on a neighbors yard when making a turn to go home. The sheriffs dept asked me where he is now. I told them that he was probably home by now and they said they could do nothing because he was not currently on the road. I asked them if he had to kill some kid in the neighborhood for them to do something, and they said that was the law… He had to be currently on the road.