The tennis courts at Harmon Field in Tryon are shut down until further notice after a truck leaving the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival crashed through the tennis courts, destroying the surface, nets and fencing at courts 1 and 2 as well as crashing through the back fence facing Harmon Field Road.

The accident occurred in the afternoon of the first day of the festival, Friday, June 10, directly in front of the children’s rides of the festival.

Tryon Fire Chief Joey Davis said a person in a Dodge truck leaving Harmon Field in the area of the old field house struck a volunteer on a golf cart who was working parking near the tennis courts.

The truck then continued crossing through the tennis courts and crashed on Harmon Field Road, according to Davis.

According to the N.C. Highway Patrol, the driver of the 2004 Dodge truck was Tuan Quoc Trinh, of Charlotte. Trinh was charged with driving while impaired and careless and reckless driving, according to the highway patrol.

The victim on the golf cart was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for evaluation as well as Trinh.

Local emergency services were quickly on scene, including the Tryon Police Department, the highway patrol, Tryon Fire Department, Polk County Rescue Squad and Polk County EMS. Harmon Field Road was closed for a short period of time during the festival because of the crash.

“Because of the significant damage to the tennis courts, they will be closed until further notice,” said Davis, “to allow proper repairs to both the playing surface as well as surrounding fencing.”

Courts 1 and 2 were severely damaged, with the flex court surface destroyed, as well as netting, fencing and benches.

The town was evaluating the damage to the courts this week for an estimate on repairs as well as a radar sign that was destroyed.