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Wade Crane Killed in Car Accident
Dec 27, 2010, 11:23 AM

Wade Crane, a professional pool player who was among the top players in the mid-1980s, was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday, Dec. 26. The 66-year-old resident of Acworth, Ga., was driving outside of Knoxville, Tenn., when he lost control of his 2000 Volkswagen shortly after 9:30 am.

Officers said Crane crossed three lanes of traffic and hit a retaining wall on the outside of Interstate 40. Wade's vehicle then crossed back over the five-lane highway and struck the center wall.

Emergency rescue workers transported Crane to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where he died.

Investigators say Crane may have had a medical condition that caused the crash, but the exact cause is still under investigation.

Nicknamed "Boom Boom" for his powerful 9-ball break, Crane (who also played under the alias "Billy Johnson") rose to the top of the professional ranks in the mid-'80s. In 1985, his best year as a pro, Crane took a pair of titles, winning the Last Call for 9-Ball and Busch Open. He finished the year as the top-earning pro, but was edged by Earl Strickland in a narrow race for Player of the Year.

In recent years, Crane operated Crane's Billiard Academy in Wade's World Billiard Club in Dalton, Ga.