SOMERSET, Ky. — It was a surreal moment over the weekend as 30,000 people watched a remake of General Lee, an iconic 1969 cruiser from the popular 1980s TV show, “The Dukes of Hazzard,” jump the Somerset Fountain.
People watched from roadsides, rooftops and beyond.
The live stunt has generated videos, pictures and clips online, bringing national attention to the eastern Kentucky community.
Keith Floyd is the executive director of Somernites Cruise, the group that organized the stunt. With support from the city and EMS on standby, they were joined by the Northeast Ohio Dukes of Hazzard County stunt group to perform the live jump for thousands.
“The door came off the jump car, and we got all the people with the Northeast Ohio Dukes, who did the jump, to sign this for us. Raymond Con was the driver,” Floyd said.
Somernites Cruise was founded in 2001 and hosts car shows throughout the year in Somerset and across the state. The group’s garage is located off South Central Avenue and hosts events from April to October each year.
“We have about 60 volunteers that come out here and work, no matter if it’s hot of a day or if it’s cold, they’re here. Every show doing their jobs, doesn’t care who gets to create it. They’re not here for that. They’re here to make sure we put on a good show that everybody has a good time, all because of that other community,” Floyd said.
Floyd said they formed the group years ago to support Somerset’s economy and raise money for a new car to give away each year.
“The impact is somewhere between $12 to $15 million a year. And you figure that over the last 25 years, you’re talking about a quarter of $1 billion that we’ve put in the Somerset community and we’re proud of that and we work hard for that,” he said.
Floyd said while this once-in-a-lifetime moment is hard to top, he’s proud of the legacy they’ve created.
This year on their 25th anniversary, Floyd said they made a longtime dream of their members come true.
