"RUSTY" SMITH A 52-year-old Rock Hill man is in serious condition after he was struck in the throat by a granite rock in a freak accident July 26 on I- 85 in Gaffney.

Benjamin "Rusty" Smith, 52, had throat surgery Friday afternoon at the Carolinas Medical Center Trauma Tower in Charlotte. A hospital spokesperson said Smith was in serious condition Sunday afternoon.

Smith was struck in the throat at about 5:30 p.m. July 26 by a fistsized piece of granite while riding in a Lincoln Navigator headed northbound on I-85, friends said.

Smith works for Duke Energy in Rock Hill and was returning home from working at the utility's Oconee plant when the accident occurred in Gaffney.

"Apparently a piece of granite came off a truck in front of them and struck another car," said Tom Payne, Smith's neighbor in Rock Hill. "The granite then bounced off the car and went through the windshield of the vehicle where Rusty was sitting in the passenger seat. It struck Rusty in the throat and several other areas."

According to Payne, there were three pieces of granite still in the Navigator when Smith was taken by ambulance from Gaffney to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. A medical helicopter was unable to airlift Smith from the accident scene due to bad weather conditions.

"His vocal cords are damaged," Payne said. "We don't know yet how it will affect his ability to talk."

The South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to the accident and is continuing its investigation.

Seneca resident Meril Bobo is among many friends and family members who are following Smith's progress and praying for a successful recovery. In addition to vocal cord damage, Bobo said doctors think Smith might still have a piece of granite in his lung.

"Rusty is a terrific singer. He did a karaoke music program for several years in Matthews, N.C.," Bobo said. "Music has been a big part of his life. For something like this to happen, it's just not right."