General Lee’s “Dukes of Hazzard” crashed in Missouri

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By Gary Gastello, Fox News

March 1, 2023 | 4:28 a.m

Two of Duke’s kids were out of luck — and the road — when they crashed their “General Lee” muscle car in Missouri on Sunday.

The couple exited Interstate 165 in Hollister, just outside Branson, on Sunday afternoon, severely damaging the vehicle.

Photos released by the Western Taney County Fire Protection District show the iconic orange Dodge Charger on a grassy roadside bridge.

Its front end collapsed from hitting a tree.

According to authorities, the occupants, whose names have not been released, were assessed at the scene and taken to hospital, but only sustained minor injuries.

But while early reports identified the vehicle as one of dozens used during the making of the “Dukes of Hazzard” TV show or the 2005 movie based on it, a spokeswoman for the Western Taney County Fire Protection District told Fox News Digital that it was. Just a customized replica.

Part of the confusion arose from the fact that it was signed by the cast members, but the vehicle’s owner, who was not present during the accident, reached out to the agency to confirm it was not a screen vehicle. One giveaway was that its doors weren’t locked like the cars at the show.

However, it contained all the hallmarks of the classic, including the front push bar, number 01 on the doors, and the controversial Confederate battle flag still painted on the roof.

Several other replicas and many remaining original cars have been flagged or removed in recent years.

Professional golfer Bubba Watson bought the “General Lee” that was used to jump over a police car in the show’s opening credits at a Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Arizona, auction in 2012 for $121,000, and in 2015 he said on Twitter that he would cover the flag.

“All men are created equal,” Watson wrote, “I believe I shall paint the American flag over the roof of General Lee #Yosa”.

“Obviously, I am not advocating for the Confederate flag,” he said at the time. “The Confederate flag wasn’t used (in the show) for what people see today, so that’s sad. But NASCAR was built on moonlight, so the show was built on moonlight. I thought it was fun. I didn’t buy the car for publicity. I bought it because Love her “.

However, the car hasn’t been seen in public since, and Bo Duke actor John Schneider told Fox and Friends in 2019 that he didn’t think Watson ever delivered on the promise.

“I’ve heard he took the flag off, but honestly, I have no reason to believe that’s true,” said Schneider, who was promoting his movie “Christmas Cars” that featured a replica of General Lee with the flag.

“No, I don’t think he would, I certainly haven’t and I’m from New York.”

The following year, Watson told Golfweek he was looking for a museum to donate the car to.

As for the Dukes of Hollister, Police Chief Preston Schmidt told The Springfield News-Leader Monday that “it was determined that the motorist was traveling too fast for the road conditions and lost control of the vehicle he was in,” and that no charges were filed.