Local Store Owner Escapes Injury After Freak Accident

A Chevy Tahoe is crushed by an uprooted tree today.

Darren Doyle, story: photos courtesy of Kim Raymer Whittinghill (Facebook):
A Roundhill woman escaped injury this morning in a freak accident on KY HWY 185 in Warren County. Evelyn Raymer, owner of The Corner Market in Roundhill, was headed south around 8am today when a tree uprooted and fell on her SUV while she was driving.

"It was like it was happening in slow motion," she said. "It was surreal to see this tree falling and all I could do was try to stop."

The huge tree, which took up both lanes of traffic, apparently uprooted due to saturated grounds from heavy rains in the area over the last 24 hours. The tree crushed the front end of her Chevy Tahoe and smashed her windshield.

The tree was larger than both lanes of traffic on KY HWY 185.

"If I had been one foot closer, or one second sooner, it would have hit the cab of my truck and would've been so bad," she said. "As it was, I didn't have one scratch. Not one."

She said a driver in front of her turned around and offered her help. She was able to call her son-in-law and then 911. She said she had a little trouble opening the door, but she managed to escape the crushed vehicle.

Mrs. Raymer and other family members credited a higher power as the reason for walking away unharmed.

"The Big Guy was riding shotgun with me, no doubt."

KSP responded to the scene along with the KY State Highway Department to help clear the scene. 

The Corner Market, a staple of the community, is one of the few remaining country stores in the county. 

"It's the bologna sandwich capital of the world," she said, laughing.

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