Arcadia man walks away from horrific wreck

Sheriff's deputies Lickteig and Feagans look over the mangled remains of a Dodge Ram 1500 driven into a concrete bridge girder at approximately 6:50 p.m., Thursday on the 800 block of 245th St. -- Justin Messner/Tribune Photo

The simple act of flicking a cigarette out the window may have caused a vehicle-totaling wreck Thursday evening, according to officials.

At approximately 6:58 p.m., Bourbon County Sheriff's deputies arrived at 859 245th St. to the scene of a single vehicle accident.

A silver Dodge Ram 1500, driven by Michael Krieger, 21, Arcadia, had smashed into a concrete bridge guardrail just minutes earlier.

Krieger, despite catastrophic damage to his vehicle, was able to walk away from the accident with only minor injuries. He attributed his minor injuries to wearing a seat belt and the deployment of the vehicles multiple airbags.

Krieger said the entire incident occurred when he threw a cigarette out of his driver's side window, believing that it flew back into the car. While he was examining the interior of the truck for the cigarette he unwittingly veered off the road and struck the rail, he said.

Deputy Michael Feagans of the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office said after the accident that he had not issued a ticket to Krieger and would be continuing an investigation of the accident.

As for Krieger, he said he is just happy to be alive and that his fiance was not accompanying him during the accident.

"The truck can be replaced," he said. "I'm just glad that my fiance wasn't in there with me."

Shortly after this remark, Deputy Feagans confirmed his fear by saying, "If she (Krieger's fiance) had been in there with you, we would have had to cut her out. She would have probably had to have been life flighted out of here."

Krieger said he did not remember the accident, just what happened after.

"I just remember stumbling around after it happened," he said. "It happened so quick. ... I travel this road everyday. Everyday."