New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-24
OFF v|ADUCT IN AUTO
Woman Killed and Husband and
Son Hurt in Jersey City.
MACHINE DROPS 40 FEET
Racing, 1t Is Said, Against An
other Car, Then Turns to
Avoid Truck.

What was said to he the irresistible
propensity for racing by drivers of fast
automobiles resulted last evening in
powerful touring car skidding on the
Mercer street vaduct. Jersey city,
plunginS through the side rail and fall
ing forty feet. killing one person and
iniuring two. one Of the latter probably
fatally.
The person killed was Mrs. Sarah Bur
nett. forty years old, whose home was
at No. 80 West 3lst street, Bayonne.
Her skull was fractured and death
was instantaneous The injured are her
husband. James y Burnett, whose col
larbone was broken. and her son, Cliff
ford Burnett twenty years old, who SUI
fered conclusion of the brain and COM
pound fracture OF the right leg. He was
unconscious late last night and his con-
dition is critical.
The car was owned by the Burnetts
and the son was at the wheel. they
we're homeward bound. and ascending
the viaduct from the lower section TO
the Heights intending TO run over the
boulevard to Bayonne. An automobile
preceded them. moving rapidly. Young
Burnett decided to pass 1T and put on
more power and turned to the left to
clear the other machine, which con-
tinued UP the grade.
The viaduct is built wide enough for
two vehicles. The automobileS were half
HTiEer
by Joseph Hoffman, of No. no Fremont
street. came into the path of he Burnett
machine Young Burnett turned his
automobile further TO the left calcu-
lating that he could squeeze between the
| guard rail OF the footpath and the truck.
His car grazed the truck, but cut over
the guard bounded over the footpath.
tore out four sections about forty feet
! of the iron side rail and went over the
| side of the viaduct. 1t landed in the
midst of dump carts. the front of the
automobile striking the soft ground with
| sufficient velocity TO embed itself in the
mud so deeply that the car stood almost
upright. with the rear wheels in the air.
! The son and mother went down with
| the car. The elder Burnett caught the
raj, Of the viaduct. which held for mo-
ment before it snapped and went down
with him. This may have saved his life.
! The City Hospital. two blocks distant,
was notified, and an ambulance with two
surgeons was quickly at the scene. Mrs.
/ Burnett. they declared, had been killed
outright, and her body was sent to
/ Hughess mOrgue. After the preliminary
treatment the injured father and son
were conveyed to the hospital and vigor-
Gus efforts made to revive them. The
elder Burnett regained consciousness
about an hour after the accident
He told how he had grasped the rail
while falling He inquired about his
wife and was informed of her death.
Hoffman, the teamster, whose truck was
| the indirect cause of the accident, made
a statement to the police in which he
said the two machines were racing and
| travelling at their highest speed up
grade. and the Burnett automobile was
| turned abruptly and the machine struck
the hind wheel of his truck and then
went over the curb and through the
/ side rail.
/ The other machine. it was learned
! later. was owned by f.. b. Osborne, Of
Montclair. progressive leader of Essex
| County. There were in the machine
! Mrs Osborne. her mother and son. and
/ two other women. The police got in
! touch with Mr. osborne on the tcle-
| phone and were told by Mr. Osborne
| that those in his machine stopped when
| the accident occurred and waited until
! the ambulance arrived. lie said they
| were not going fast and were in no wise
| responsible for the accident