Deliverance "Cowboy" Coward Dies in Vehicle Accident

Haywood County -- January 25, 2024: Haywood County is mourning the loss of one of its own, Herbert "Cowboy" Coward, who shot to stardom with his hair-raising performance as a villain in the 1972 Burt Reynolds film Deliverance. 

The Accident occurred Wednesday afternoon. Sgt. Michael Owens of the North Carolina Highway Patrol provided details of the incident, stating that troopers responded to a 911 call reporting the collision at 3:23 p.m. Coward 85, and his partner, Bertha Brooks, 78, were leaving a doctor's appointment when the small Nissan passenger car Coward was driving failed to yield. The vehicle was struck on the passenger side by a Ford F-150 driven by a 16-year-old. Neither Coward nor Brooks were wearing seatbelts, and despite speed not being a factor, the collision proved fatal. Also lost in the crash were their chihuahua and Coward's pet squirrel.

His involvement in Deliverance was the result of a friendship with Hollywood actor Burt Reynolds, which developed during their time working as "gunfighters" at the Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley in the early 1970s. Herbert "Cowboy" Coward's journey to Hollywood began when he secured a role in the 1972 blockbuster film Deliverance, where he delivered the now-famous line, "He got a real purty mouth, ain't he?" This iconic line became a hallmark of the movie, and Coward's portrayal of a menacing villain left a lasting impression on audiences worldwide. 

WNCTimes 

Image Credit: WNCTimes