Man Riding Covered Wagon To Oklahoma Hit By Truck In Arkansas

A 68-year-old Vietnam veteran from Michigan, who was traveling to Okemah to see his father's grave,  had his journey cut short this week.

Charles Peters loaded up his belongings in a green covered wagon pulled by two mules. He left his home in Michigan on May 1, hoping to thank veterans along the way.

On July 24, Peters' wagon was hit by a truck on U.S. Highway 64 near Ozark, Arkansas. The truck rolled over, killing the two mules and injuring Peters.

"I could see the wheels, and it looked like the truck was on top of the caravan," said Sherry Rodgers, who saw the aftermath of the crash. "I could not see the [mules] because the embankment was really far in a ditch and it had just rained the night before and the [mules] were trapped in the ditch."

The crash sent Peters to the hospital with two broken ribs.

Word of the crash spread quickly in Ozark, with people coming forward offering to help Peters get back on the road with new mules.

He has declined their offer, he told KFSM TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith.

"I wouldn't give this trip up for anything," Peters said. "If people ask me what it would take for me to quit, I just say I don't understand the question. I won't quit."

Peters wants to thank his dad for his service during World War II.

"I want to stand next to his grave and just say ‘Thank you Pop'," Peters said.

He plans to return to Michigan, train two new mules and get back on the road to Okemah next spring.