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But as Kohn’s machine began its descent, the thrill almost turned into a nightmare.
The General Lee slammed into the pavement nose-first with vicious force. The impact tore off the rear bumper and ripped a door clean off the car. Metal fragments and debris scattered like shrapnel across the street.
Even worse, the battered Charger careened straight at a cameraman capturing the stunt from the sidelines. Video footage shows the man abandoning his gear and diving over a barrier mere moments before the out-of-control Charger would have crushed him. Bits of debris pelted the lucky cameraman as he scrambled away.
Thankfully, the infamous internet meme held true once again—“cameraman never dies.”
The crowd watched in stunned silence as Kohn’s demolished Charger finally skidded to a stop against roadside barricades. Somernites Cruise Executive Director Keith Floyd quickly reassured fans:
“Praise the Lord, everybody’s safe.”
Floyd added:
“(Kohn) is doing great. I’m just so high (with excitement) right now.”
This harrowing leap was no random joyride for Kohn. The Ohio-based driver is a die-hard Dukes of Hazzard devotee who’s dedicated years to recreating the show’s legendary stunts. As founder of the Northeast Ohio Dukes, he’s spent decades living out his childhood dreams of flying Chargers through the air.
The Somerset jump marked Kohn’s 30th successful General Lee stunt. He’s even eclipsed 200 feet in past jumps, boasting a personal best of 217 feet.
Following his heart-stopping flight, Kohn summed up the gravity of his dangerous passion:
“You get one shot at it. 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.”
But Kohn’s ambitions extend beyond mere county fairs and regional festivals.
Fresh off his viral fountain leap, Kohn appeared on Glenn Beck’s show with an audacious idea that would thrill patriots nationwide. The stuntman wants to create a red, white, and blue “American Patriot General Lee,” emblazoned with the numbers “47-45” on its doors to honor both of Donald Trump’s presidential terms.
Kohn told Beck:
“Glenn, we want to build an ‘American Patriot General Lee.’ 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.’”
Kohn’s dream is nothing short of historic:
“We want to jump in front of the White House. That’s what we want to do.”
Beck enthusiastically replied:
“I bet he could build that jump.”
Kohn, brimming with confidence, declared his team could pull it off quickly:
“We can build a car in two weeks” and create a “Great American” tribute for the proposed presidential stunt.
While some corners of pop culture have tried to bury the Dukes of Hazzard’s legacy under the weight of modern political correctness, patriots like Kohn keep the show’s spirit roaring. His adrenaline-charged events draw crowds upwards of 10,000 strong, with fans eager to witness the all-American thrill of flying muscle cars.
During the TV show’s original run from 1979 to 1985, an estimated 300 Chargers met their demise in the name of high-octane entertainment. Kohn is proudly carrying on that legacy for a new generation of freedom-loving fans.
Whether his “Jump for Trump” will ever soar above Pennsylvania Avenue remains to be seen. But one thing’s for certain: Raymond Kohn and his General Lee aren’t done making America’s pulse race just yet.
