A Simple Kind of Man

After our discussion of the tragedies that have befallen Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kinky Paprika chimed in on an old, long-dead thread to say that he had found a picture of the brand-new car Gary Rossington was driving when a whiskey bottle caused him to say "Oak tree, you're in my way." They don't seem to want people to post the photo elsewhere, but you can see it here.

It's not much of a new car for a rock star, is it? At the time of the crash, September 1976, Skynyrd was about to go on tour, and was forced to postpone a few dates. The rest of the band fined Rossington $5000. He didn't learn his lesson, though; last October, Gary was arrested for driving his 2005 gold Cadillac under the influence while outside Atlanta. The police offered to give him a Breathalyzer test, but Rossington refused: "I know I am drunk," he said, according to the police report. "I do not want take [sic] the evaluation."

The police report also noted "a odor [double sic] of an alcoholic beverage from the driver that caused the accident." Can't you smell that smell?