HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A celebrity car crash turned heads on Interstate 64 east near the Short Pump exit Thursday afternoon. But it wasn't a celebrity driving the car, which - as it turns out - is an authentic, autographed "General Lee" 1969 Dodge Charger from the popular long-ago "Dukes of Hazzard" TV show. Nor was the driver one of the Southern "good ol' boys" the show's theme song heralded. (He was not injured in the crash.)
We did some digging and found out the driver is a 29-year-old man who bought the car for $60,000 at a Florida auction about six months ago. A mechanic who worked on the 383 cubic-inch Mopar-powered Charger said the owner - identified by police as Mohammed Abdulla Jamali - told him he bought the car because it spoke to him.
Neighbors in the Gardens at Twin Hickory apartments said the man was very proud of his unusual ride. (He wasn't at home when we knocked on his door Friday afternoon and evening.)
That sprawling apartment complex is one of the most diverse in metro Richmond, with residents from India, South America, the Far East and many other countries. Most we spoke with enjoyed seeing the bright, unusual car, even if they didn't know it's history.
Watch the video and see their reactions to the car and its Confederate flag, along with cool pre-crash photos.
The long-running TV show about rebellion, short-shorts and running from the cops used roughly 275 of the modified Dodge Chargers, wrecking about one per episode, typically in high-flying jumps accompanied by "yee-haws" and the car's horn blaring "Dixie."
