At one point, Mike Harriger of Mitchell planned to spend the rest of his life doing what he was passionate about – working as a farm hand. However, a horrific vehicle accident caused him to nearly lose his life, and the injuries he sustained in that accident forced him to find another career. Since he had received lots of help from people during his recovery, he desired to do something that would make a positive impact on others. Therefore, he went to college to become a teacher, and this fall at Mitchell High School he’ll be entering his 24th year of teaching. In addition, he’s in his 10th year as a member of the Mitchell Volunteer Fire Department, something he decided to do as another way to help people.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
MITCHELL – It was early in the morning on Jan. 23, 1992, and Mike Harriger had just finished loading some feed onto a truck.
Harriger, who was working full-time as a farm hand on a ranch about a mile west of Huntley, hopped in the truck and began driving it to feed some cattle in a pasture about a mile away, something he had done numerous times before.
This trip, however, turned into a nightmare as the breaks on Harriger’s feed truck suddenly stopped working. Although he wasn’t traveling fast – only about 5 miles per hour – he couldn’t stop the truck from rolling out onto the highway.
As soon as he reached the road, his truck was broadsided by another truck going about 60 miles per hour. Harriger lost consciousness as his truck rolled, finally coming to a stop in a bar pit next to an alfalfa field.
“I don’t remember anything after the collision,” Harriger said.
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