Numerous news outlets report that on Wednesday, Herbert “Cowboy” Coward—who portrayed Toothless Man in the 1972 film Deliverance—passed away in an automobile accident.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol, local news stations WLOS and FOX Carolina, and the 85-year-old man’s girlfriend Bertha Brooks, 78, were both killed in the collision in Haywood County, North Carolina. Both his pet squirrel and Chihuahua perished in the collision.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was contacted by people seeking comments, but they took some time to respond.

According to reports, Coward was struck by a truck driven by a 16-year-old as he turned into the highway. The truck driver was sent to the hospital.
According to WLOS, Brooks and Coward were not using seatbelts, and the police said that the teenage driver wasn’t traveling at a high enough speed. No fees were imposed.
September 2011 saw the death of Dorothy Coward, who spent 51 years as Coward’s spouse. Together, they have four children.
He and co-star Jon Voight had a terrifying sequence in his iconic part in Deliverance. John Boorman starred in the film with Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox. Three Oscars were up for the film in 1973, including Best Picture.

Reynolds, who passed away in 2018, expressed to Conan O’Brien his opinion that Coward would be a suitable choice for the role.
What steps will I take to locate these guys? The Men in the Mountains? The finest director I’ve ever worked with, John Boorman, an Irishman, requested. “I know a guy,” I said to them. If we can capture him, I guarantee we’ll have something very amazing. He lacks all writing and reading skills. I said, “Let me bring him in,” to them. “You’ll determine whether or not you like him. His name is Cowboy.”
Reynolds claims that when Coward performed a personal rendition of one of the lines at the audition, he was offered the role immediately.

Reynolds said to have instructed Coward, “Cowboy, say whatever you want to say,” during the filming. “If they don’t like it, they’ll stop it,” he remarked.He began making up jokes here and there. Everything he said stuck in their minds because it was so valuable.