NAMES IN THE NEWS : Checker Unhurt in Bus Crash
Chubby Checker was a passenger on a bus that struck a semitrailer today, but the ‘60s rocker was not among the five people injured.
The bus was carrying a dozen passengers when it slammed into the rear of an 18-wheeler, authorities said. The accident closed both southbound lanes of Interstate 35 just north of the Texas line.
“He’s on there,” said Charles Lynch, a supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, referring to Checker. “He’s just wandering around. He ain’t hurt. About four or five were hurt.”
Five people were being treated for minor injuries at the Love County Health Center in Marietta, said hospital spokesman Richard Barker. “We did not treat Mr. Checker, so evidently he was not injured,” Barker added.
Checker gained international fame three decades ago as the man who popularized the “twist.” He reportedly was en route from Chicago to San Antonio when the accident occurred.
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