Patriot Pulse

This one heart-stopping stunt left thousands thunderstruck as the General Lee nearly disproves “cameraman never dies” theory

Image by Felix Mizioznikov via Shutterstock
Image by Felix Mizioznikov via Shutterstock

A Kentucky stunt driver just pulled off something that would make even Bo and Luke Duke proud.

But a death-defying leap almost ended in disaster.

And this one heart-stopping stunt left thousands thunderstruck as the General Lee nearly disproved the “cameraman never dies” theory.

Raymond Kohn rockets through a fountain like a modern-day Duke boy

The orange Dodge Charger roared down the street in Somerset, Kentucky, looking exactly like it belonged in Hazzard County.

Stunt driver Raymond Kohn gripped the wheel as his General Lee replica barreled toward a makeshift ramp at breakneck speed.

What happened next was pure Dukes of Hazzard magic.

Kohn launched his 1969 Charger replica an astounding 150 feet through the air, soaring directly over Somerset’s Fountain Square during the 25th annual Somernites Cruise festival on Saturday evening.¹

The turquoise fountain water exploded in all directions as the iconic orange car blasted through it mid-flight.

Thousands of spectators packed the streets and rooftops to witness this death-defying tribute to America’s most beloved TV car chase show.²

The crowd erupted in cheers as Kohn’s General Lee cleared the fountain and came hurtling back to earth.

But that’s when things got scary.

General Lee driver put “camerman never dies” meme theory to the test

The landing nearly turned deadly.

The General Lee slammed into the pavement nose-first with bone-jarring force.

Car parts went flying in every direction as the Charger shed its back bumper and one of its doors on impact.

The out-of-control vehicle then careened straight toward a cameraman who was filming the stunt.³

Video footage shows the man grabbing his camera equipment and diving over a safety barrier just seconds before the runaway Charger would have flattened him.

Debris from the crashing car pelted the lucky cameraman as he scrambled to safety.

Thankfully, “cameraman never dies” as the meme goes.

The crowd held its breath as Kohn’s battered General Lee finally came to rest against the roadside barriers.

"Praise the Lord, everybody’s safe," announced Somernites Cruise Executive Director Keith Floyd after confirming Kohn had emerged uninjured from the wreckage.⁴

"(Kohn) is doing great. I’m just so high (with excitement) right now," Floyd added.

This wasn’t Kohn’s first rodeo with flying Chargers

Raymond Kohn isn’t your average weekend warrior when it comes to jumping cars.

The Northeast Ohio Dukes founder has been obsessed with The Dukes of Hazzard since he was a small child watching the show during its original run from 1979 to 1985.⁵

This Somerset fountain jump marked Kohn’s 30th successful General Lee stunt, with his personal distance record reaching an incredible 217 feet.⁶

"You get one shot at it," Kohn told reporters after climbing out of his demolished Charger. "This is a very scary situation. You’re putting yourself in a life-and-death situation on purpose, and I just need to focus on one thing, hitting that ramp, and that’s it".⁷

The Kentucky crowd got more than just death-defying stunts for their money.

Festival attendees also enjoyed meet-and-greets with original Dukes of Hazzard stars, including John Schneider who played Bo Duke on the beloved series.⁸

But Kohn’s biggest stunt might still be ahead of him.

This patriotic stunt driver wants to "Jump for Trump" next

After going viral for his Kentucky fountain leap, Kohn appeared on Glenn Beck’s show with an ambitious proposal that would make headlines nationwide.

"Glenn, we want to build an ‘American Patriot General Lee,’" Kohn explained to Beck. "And we want to put, like, ’47-45’ on the doors, put a big old American flag on the roof, and we’re gonna call it the ‘Jump for Trump 2025’".⁹

Translation: Kohn wants to honor both Trump presidencies with a red, white, and blue General Lee.

But here’s where it gets really interesting.

"We want to jump in front of the White House. That’s what we want to do," Kohn declared.¹⁰

Beck’s response? "I bet he could build that jump," referring to President Trump’s ability to make the White House stunt happen.

Kohn assured Beck his team could "build a car in two weeks" and create a "Great American" tribute vehicle for the proposed presidential jump.¹¹

Now that would be something to see.

The General Lee legacy lives on through real American patriots

While Hollywood and the mainstream media tried to cancel The Dukes of Hazzard over political correctness, real Americans like Raymond Kohn keep the spirit of the show alive.

Kohn’s stunt shows consistently draw over 10,000 spectators per event, with his largest crowd reaching 13,000 people who came to see authentic American entertainment.¹²

The Somerset jump proves there’s still a huge appetite for the kind of wholesome, family-friendly action that made The Dukes of Hazzard a cultural phenomenon.

During the show’s seven-season run, an estimated 300 General Lee Chargers were destroyed filming the high-flying stunts that made Bo and Luke Duke household names.¹³

Kohn’s carrying on that tradition with stunts that would make the Duke boys proud.

Whether he gets to jump for Trump in front of the White House remains to be seen.

But one thing’s for certain – Raymond Kohn and his General Lee replica are keeping the American spirit of adventure alive, one death-defying leap at a time.

Sources:

  1. Commonwealth Journal, Somerset-Kentucky.com
  2. Variety, Commonwealth Journal
  3. HotCars
  4. Commonwealth Journal
  5. Timeless Muscle Magazine
  6. New York Post, AOL
  7. Commonwealth Journal
  8. On3, Scioto Post
  9. Blaze Media
  10. Blaze Media
  11. Blaze Media
  12. Timeless Muscle Magazine
  13. Breitbart

 

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