VA Couple Escapes Injury When Tow Truck Ends Up In NC Lake

Here's the story from The Clay County Progress: Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:37 AM CDT

A Christiansburg, Va., man and his finance’ came out physically unscathed, but emotionally shaken after the wrecker they were driving plunged into Lake Chatuge. The car being towed overturned onto the shoreline.

The accident occurred Saturday around 11:30 a.m. at the entrance to the one-lane “High Bridge” on Highway 175, east of Hayesville.

Thomas Nosse, 35, was driving a 1986 Chevrolet wrecker north on 175 toward U.S. 64 when he came upon the bridge, saw a string of traffic on it and then noticed the “one-lane” bridge sign, but it was too late

“I came around that curve and the bridge was lined with cars coming at me,” Nosse said. “I was not familiar with the road and did not realize it was a one-lane bridge. I hit the brakes and the wheels locked up. It was either hit someone or go off the road. I hit trees and then went into the lake.”

Nosse can’t swim. He said the cab of the truck began to fill with water. “It got scarier when the cab starting filling up and it was coming in pretty fast. We didn’t know how deep the water was either”

The windows were down and Nosse helped get his finance', Tana Newman, 47, out of the cab. They both stood on top of it until help arrived.

“I had jut bought that truck about 30 minutes earlier from a guy in Hiawassee, Ga.,” said Nosse, who lives about 300 miles away. “I was towing my 1998 Grand Prix I drove down here. I hate it overturned, it is a rare car.”

“The people in your area are the nicest I’ve ever met,” Nosse said of the rescue workers and Ed Ashe, who loaned him a car to drive home.

North Carolina Highway Trooper Steve Byers said Nosse was estimated to be traveling around 50 miles per hour. He was cited for exceeding a safe speed.