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Gusty Winds May Have Caused Fatal Accident: Atmos Official Higdon Dies in Parkway Crash

Posted on: Monday, 9 January 2006, 12:00 CST

By Renee Beasley Jones, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Jan. 9--Wind gusts of 35 mph may have caused a deadly motorcycle accident Sunday morning on the William H. Natcher Parkway.

Thomas W. Higdon, 57, of the 3500 block of Plaudit Place died after his Harley Davidson swerved off the highway about seven miles south of town and hit a concrete culvert. Officials believe strong winds may have knocked his motorcycle off balance.

Higdon worked at Atmos Energy as the director of public affairs for Kentucky and the Mid States Division.

Daviess County Coroner Bob Howe said Higdon died at the scene from head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet.

The accident took place shortly before noon. Higdon was the last rider in a small group of motorcyclists heading south on the parkway, said Daviess County Deputy Chris Wolter. A witness recalled a gust of wind rocked his van about the time he saw Higdon's motorcycle leave the highway.

Parkways are especially dangerous for motorcycles on windy days, Wolter warned. Unlike city streets, there is no cover to protect against gusts. "(The wind) just whips across the road. It's hard to keep a (car or truck) on the road sometimes."

Higdon was an Owensboro High School graduate who started out painting gas meters at Atmos Energy during summers off from college. He never left.

During about three decades with the firm, he worked his way up through the measurement and safety departments to a job in communications. He was responsible for Atmos' public affairs in a seven-state region.

His expertise was valued nationwide. In 2003 and 2004, Higdon served as chairman of a national committee for the Washington, D.C.-based American Gas Association. And Atmos Energy often implemented Higdon's policies throughout the firm.

"Atmos is a very close-knit company," said John Paris, president of the Kentucky and Mid States Division. "The loss of Tom Higdon will be felt. He was loved by all."

Mayor Tom Watson met Higdon in high school. Watson was a sophomore; Higdon, a senior. They played on the football team together.

"He took me under his wing, and we've been friends ever since," Watson said.

Higdon had a never-quit attitude, the mayor said. "You couldn't measure how big his heart was. He was a good man. It's sad it had to end this way."

Friends and coworkers remembered Higdon as a loving family man who was passionate about Owensboro. If anyone had a problem, he became a big-brother figure who could always be counted on.

"He's got friends everywhere," Paris said. "He's that kind of guy.

"He was a super individual who will be missed by all."

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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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NYSE:HDI, NYSE:ATO, NASDAQ-NMS:MOSY,

Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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