Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-24
SIX INJURED IN
COLLISION WITH
ELECTRIC CAR
AUTO SMASHED AND INMATES
HURLED TO GROUND
WOMEN IN ToNNEAU RECEIVE
WORST OF IMPACT
Mrs. Anna Hoff May Be Crippled for
Life, and Her Daughter and com-
panion Sustain Bad Wounds
and Bruises

LARGE touring car containing
u four women and two men was
- smashed to kindling wood yes
terday afternoon at Western avenue
and Sixteenth street by an inbound
Los Angeles-P Pacific double header"
three of the women being rendered un-
conscious and one, Mrs. Anna Hoff, 795
Lincoln avenue, Pasadena, receiving
injuries which possibly will cripple her
for life.
The three women most severely in
jured are Mrs Hoff; Sarah Hoff. IA
years old, her daughter, and Mrs. r.
| c.. McKibben of 2130 West Twenty-sev-
enth street. They were carried to the
| California hospital by the train that
struck the machine. Mrs. Cory Hoff,
daughter-in-law of Mrs. Hoff, was
not so badly injured and was able to
| leave the hospital as soon as her
wounds were dressed. All the women
were in the tonneau while Cory Hon,
who was driving, and r. G. McKibben
occupied the front seats. Hoff's in
juries consist of badly bruised shoul-
der, while McKibben escaped with
nothing more serious than severe
| bruises.
While DR.. w. w. Beckett of the
hospital staff declared that Mrs. Anna
Hoff's condition was not critical, he
said that her injury, a fracture OF the
pelvic bone, was most serious. Her
scalp also is badly torn and in places
loosened from the skull. Mrs. Hoff is
4S years of age and her recovery will
be extremely slow.
Mrs McKibben is suffering from bad
bruises on the left side, while Miss
| Sarah Hoff sustained scalp wounds
and bruises about the head and shoul-
ders. All the injured quickly recovered
| consciousness.
The car which was a Rambler. 1906
model, and was owned by Cory Hoff,
was travelling north on Western ave-
nue. at a fair rate of speed. At the
point where the accident occurred the
avenue is smooth and we'll adapted for
autoing. While Hoff said he was driv-
ing at speed of not more than eight
| miles an hour, witnesses of the acci-
dent affirm that the machine was go
ing much faster. The point at which
| Western avenue crosses the tracks of
/ the Los Aneeles-Pacihc is a particu-
larly dangerous spot for automobiles,
as there Is no means of giving warning
of the approach of trains.
The automobile had almost crossed
| the south track when the rear of the
machine was fairly struck by the flyer
| on its return from the beach. The car,
| with its occupants, was hurled clear
across the north track and the inmates
| scattered along the tracks. The top
of the tonneau was torn completely
off by the force of the collision and
the entire machine reduced to scrap
iron. The accident occurred about 5
o'clock in the afternoon, and the train
was crowded with people returning
from the beach after the Sunday
holiday
Victims Rendered senseIess
After the terrific crash of the col
| lision there was hardly sound for
| full minute. All but one of the women,
Mrs. Hoff, lay upon the ground where
they were thrown, several being covered
with the wreckage of the automobile.
Then the screams of those less severely
injured brought hundreds of residents
of the neighborhood to the scene and
the work of rescue began. The train.
which had been stopped farther down.
was backed up, and the passengers and
crew came to the assistance of the in
| jured
McKibben and Hoff extricated them
selves from the wreck, and, though
badly bruised and suffering from the
nervous shock, went to the aid of the
women. Mrs. Anna Hoff was wrapped
in blankets and carried aboard the
train. Mrs. McKibben and Miss Sarah
| Hoff were also carried to the train and
later revived. The entire party We're
taken to the California hospital, where
| they were attended by DR.. w. w.
| Beckett of the staff.
When Cory Hoff who is employed
by the municipal lighting plant of Pas
| adena was seen shortly after the col
lision he declared he was suffering SO
severely from the shock that he could
hardly speak. After great effort he
said
1--WE have had that car about a year
and have never before had an acci-
dent We had been driving about the
country and were bound for Westlake
park. Before crossing the tracks | lis
tened for whistle and looked up and
| down the tracks as well as / could, but
| there are trees in the way and I saw
no train. We were not going very fast
and am sure the motorman did not
blow his whistle. The train struck the
| tonneau where all of the women were,
and it is miracle that any of them
are alive at this moment When L
| finally did see the train 1t was upon
us and l had no time either to throw
on the brake or 10 send her ahead. All
remember is being hurled through the
air and falling in heap on the other
side Of the track"
Hoff, who was standing outside the
hospital, was coatless and hatleSs. He
had lost his watch in the wreck and
wished to go back to the scene to re-
cover 1t, fDuL IlOHe VI lflc WOulu
take him even after he explained the
circumstances, as the motormen said
they did not stop at Western avenue.
r. G. McKibben, who is employed in
the general delivery of the Los An
geles postoffice and was on the seat be-
side Hoff, was seen at the hospital,
where he was awaiting the result of
the injuries received by his wife. He
Is about 28 years of age and of strong
build. He came through the ordeal
more fortunately than any of the
others.
At the general offices Of the Los An
geles-Pacific company no one colud be
found who had a report of the accident.
1t was said that most of the officers
We're at the beach. 1t was learned.
however, that L. II. Smith was the
motQrman of the train and ]. w. Eades
the Conductor. The train left the
beach shortly before o'clock The in
jured were received at the hospital at
$3.50. The train was due in Los An-
geles at and traffic on the line was
held up for about twenty minutes