Whitson Buren Skeen (September 28, 1936 – September 13, 1965) was fatally injured when his skidding Ford swung roadside on the Darlington Raceway third turn and was struck at the driver's door by another Ford driven by Reb Wickersham. Skeen suffered head, chest and abdominal injuries and a broken leg, while Wickersham recived only a cut. Buren Skeen lost control of his 1964 Ford on the second lap and was hit broadside on the driver's side by a car driven by Reb Wickersham. Skeen was survived by his wife Brenda and two sons, Derric Buren Skeen, 4, and Eric Chris Skeen, 2.
Skeen died from injuries sustained a week earlier after crashing on the second lap of the 1965 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. His car spun on the second lap and was hit on the driver's side. An iconic video shows the car being towed away, the drivers seat was moved completely to the other side of the car, and the steering wheel poking out of the window.
Buren Skeen was an American NASCAR driver from Denton, North Carolina and competed in eight Grand National Series events in his career, earning three finishes in the top ten.
