Letters of warning are important and should be taken seriously. This letter of warning was taken seriously...but not seriously enough, and it cost 20 people their lives.
One particular Apple Barrel Country Store & Café was located right at the bottom of a T-intersection, in Schoharie, New York. What made the intersection so dangerous was the fact that it was at the bottom of a very steep hill, causing many heavy trucks and tractor trailers to lose their breaks while attempting to stop at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill.
Knowing of the danger, Bob Loden, the owner of the Apple Barrel store wrote a letter of warning to a regional director of the state DOT (Department of Transportation) in the fall of 2012. The letter stated that in the past three months, three trucks had experienced brake failure while coming down the steep hill and had ended up in the Apple Barrel parking lot. Two of the trucks had come dangerously close to crashing into a 1,000-gallon propane tank on the side of the Apple Barrel store. Loden didn’t even want to contemplate a worse-case scenario. He wrote, “If a brake failure were to occur on a busy fall weekend, multiple lives are at risk.”
Not Serious Enough
So, was the warning heeded? Yes...and no. In April, 2013, the DOT banned all trucks over 18 tons from using that steep section of roadway going towards the Apple Barrel. But this did not include smaller delivery trucks and school busses. Then, in January 2015, all trucks over 5 tons were banned from using that section of roadway. Later in the year, all trucks were banned from using that section to avoid any confusion. But this did not exclude limousines and it was to prove a deadly mistake for 20 unsuspecting people.
God’s Word, the Bible, gives us a serious and solemn warning of the consequences of entering into eternity with our sins unforgiven. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). ALL have sinned...every one of us are born sinners, we live in sin and God tells us that if we die with our sins unforgiven, we CANNOT enter into His holy presence. It is critical that we see our great need as sinners, and our need of the Savior of sinners! We will spend eternity in one of two places — heaven or hell.
Jesus spoke of hell many times as a warning to us. The last book in the Bible, Revelation, gives us one of the most sobering descriptions of what it will be like to stand before God in our sinful state. It is actually quite frightening, because the time for repentance before God will be past, and our eternal destination will be set. “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whom the face of the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)). Think of it! There will be no place to hide from God as your life in all of its sinful state is exposed before Him! If you are standing before God’s great white throne, after your sinful life is reviewed, because God is just and fair, He will open the book of life to show you that your name is not written there. There will be no questions then — you will be “cast into the lake of fire.”
Awful Consequences
Six years after Bob Loden wrote his letter of warning, on October 6, 2018, a stretch limousine flew down that dangerous hill at 100 mph, crashing into a SUV in the Apple Barrel parking lot and instantly killing two men who happened to be standing there. The limousine then landed in a ditch. Clearly, its brakes had failed. It was determined that the 31-foot limousine weighed nearly 7 tons, making it bigger than some trucks previously banned from travelling on that stretch of road. But the rules did not apply to limousines.
A group of family and friends out to celebrate one young woman’s 30th birthday, never suspected that it would be their last day on earth. Those that lost their lives included four sisters, an Iraq war veteran and newlyweds. One couple left behind two young children. A year later, one young man was still grieving the loss of his brother, best friend and cousin.
The vehicle had failed inspection a month before the accident and the driver did not have the proper license to operate the limo. As of this writing, the investigation is still ongoing, as local and state officials wrangle with federal investigators. Law suits have been filed in several directions, and a “not guilty” plea has been entered by the operator of Prestige Limousines. It seems the case will be tied up in the courts where high-powered lawyers will fight it out.
But there is no confusion as to God’s plan of salvation. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). The “gift of God” means that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. “Through Jesus Christ our Lord” means that it is because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). We must truly believe and accept God’s gift of salvation. This is not head knowledge, but true repentance before God for our sins, and simple trust that He will save us from an awful doom for Jesus’ sake. “He that believe[s] on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believe[s] not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth [rests] on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).
God is writing everything down that we do, including our every thought, and He knows our hearts. You will not be able to wiggle out of your guilt before Him! Now is the time that God has given you to make sure that your name is written in the Book of Life! Jesus died for you — accept His free offer of salvation while you have life, before it is too late! Then, because you put your faith in Jesus, you will go to be with Him in heaven forever.
Another car accident described in Saved From a Muddy Death, illustrates more of this vital truth.