TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The viral video has been seen by over half a million people. It shows two runners colliding at the finish line of the Troy Turkey Trot, one of the nation’s oldest road races.
22-year-old Jack Huber was running his first Turkey Trot after some steadfast training at other area runs of the season. He says he never experienced a race like this.
“Didn’t expect it and I was coming in pretty high on his outside shoulder, so I think there was a moment there where I was coming and then I realized I was cut off I was going too fast, and I was going to be a collision is going to hurt,” Huber said.
As Huber was making his way into place at the final leg of the race, the racer on the right, Xavier Salvador can be seen in the video watching over his shoulder at Huber.
As Huber begins gaining on Salvador for fourth place, Salvador appears to attempt a hip bump that pummels both runners to the pavement and into photojournalist Amy Modesti who was on assignment and covering the “Trot”.
“As a result of the Fall they also landed partially on my knee, and I still stood standing,” Modesti tells NEWS10.
‘’It didn’t Give me a good feeling. I think afterwards I was upset and then I was more upset once I saw the video and I realized how close it could have been to hitting my head or something much more severe than it ended up,” said Huber.
Huber says he has suffered some road rash injuries to his shoulder, his forearms and his knees.
Modesti who was covering the run for her third time says it all just happened so fast.
“I took the brunt of the impact in my shoulder, here. So, it’s pretty bruised and I have a bandage on it because it’s got road rash and kind of just here, just kind of slid along the ground and I banged my knee on the ground. But I was able to go for a run the next day. Just like just like normal. Just a little sore,” said the runner.
“Just start with or wasn’t really much time for me to be able to remove myself from that situation because of that sudden impact,” said the journalist.
Huber and Modesti both say they have recovered from the bumps and bruises but are still left in awe over the poor sportsmanship that erupted at the final steps of the beloved holiday tradition. The Troy Turkey Trot released the following statement on their Facebook account, regarding the tumultuous finish.
Troy Turkey Trot:
RUNNER DISQUALIFIED IN 10K COLLISION
After a review of video footage at the finish line and eyewitness accounts, the Troy Turkey Trot has determined that Xaviar Salvador (Bib 707) violated USATF Rule 163 as he and Jack Huber (Bib 957) competed for 4th and 5th place in the 10K at the 75th running of the Troy Turkey Trot. Salvador has since been disqualified from the event.
The revised results for the 10K are as follows:
1. Sean O’Brien (20) 30:44
2. Ryan Udvadia (26) 31:44
3. Cameron Davis (22) 31:45
4. Jack Huber (22) 31:47
5. Jacob Andrews (29) 32:05
6. Matt Schafer (25) 32:21
7. Scott Mindel (36) 32:58
8. Keith Machabee (26) 33:18
9. Jonathan Lindenauer (34) 33:24
10. Gabriel Spanbauer (20) 34:03
Modesti and Huber told NEWS10 they will both be back if given the opportunity.