Jones' Crashed Lexus Auctioned

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) â€” Fans of country singer George Jones have a chance to own a grisly curio from his life and near-death. <br><br>The black Lexus that Jones crashed in a drunken-driving incident

Monday, January 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) â€” Fans of country singer George Jones have a chance to own a grisly curio from his life and near-death.

The black Lexus that Jones crashed in a drunken-driving incident was posted for auction on the online service eBay late Thursday by Raymond Turek of Murfreesboro.

Jones, 69, is one of the most celebrated country singers in Nashville, with hits like ``He Stopped Loving Her Today.'' He crashed his car into a concrete bridge in March 1999 and pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and violating the state's open-container law. He was fined $550 and ordered into counseling.

The opening bid for the vehicle was posted at $10,000, but the item will be withdrawn unless bids reach a reserve price, an undisclosed minimum set by the seller. Turek expects it to sell for up to $150,000.

Turek, who has displayed the car along Nashville highways as a warning against drunken driving, said he is selling the vehicle to finance two nonprofit centers he runs to provide medical care for the needy.

``It's a piece of history that is priceless, especially to the country music industry,'' he said.