The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-30
FOUR DEAD, II HURT
IN MOTOR CRASHES
Ambulance Is Hurled Over in,
Attempt to Avoid Smash
With Cycle.
BOY CRUSHED IN STREET
Girls Among Victims When
Automobile and Car Col
Hide in Brooklyn.

Four persons were killed and eleven
hurt In automobile smashes in and
about the city yesterday. Two Of the
injured were dying last night in tho
Brooklyn Hospital with fractured skulls.
An ambulance from Long Island Col
lege Hospital was speeding south on
Court street, Brooklyn. last night. re-
spending to call from Bush docks. 1t
was driven by Michael O'Donnell Of "a
Garnet street. and seated beside him for
the ride was friend. John p. Leddy, of
125 Congress street. who has been en-
ployed as messenger by Wall street
house. DR.. Smith was clinging to the
rear Of the swaying ambulance.
As O'Donnell reached Luquer street he
saw q motorcycle coming rapidly from
the eastward. Peter Ludwig Of 96 Law
renee street was driving 1t and John
Knudson OF 81 Second place was In the
seat behind him. O'Donnell said he had
been changing his gong, but that Lud-
wig apparently had not heard 1t and that
he saw a collision was inevitable. ODon-
nell swung to the left. intending to drive
the ambulance upon the sidewalk and
leave clear passage for the motor
cycle. As the wheels OF the ambulance
hit the curb the heavy vehicle toppled
over on It's side. O'Donnell and DR..
Smith were thrown clear. both being
hurt. but Leddy was pinned beneath the
wreckage
Patrolman Guthrie of the Hamilton
avenue station. aided by the crowd
which Immediately collected. lifted the
body of the ambulance from the mes
senger and he was taken to Brooklyn
Hospital. where he died of a fractured
skull and internal injuries.
Accident Da.es Cyclist.
Ludwig appeared dazed by the acci-
dent to the ambulance and, although he
had a clear space for turning, he drove
his motorcycle into the wreck. Both he
and Knudson were attended by DR.. SUIT
ton and taken to Brooklyn Hospital.
where 1t was said their skulls were .frac-
| tured and that they could not live. Re
serves from the Hamilton avenue station
had to be called to keep the crowd back.
Six-year-old Thomas Gallagher of 500
West Fortieth street. started to dart
| across West Fortieth street last night
! to greet his father. Thomas Gallagher.
retired patrolman. In front of zoe
he was struck by an automobile operated
| by Walter Nolte OF 264 West Twenty
\ nfth street. Patrolman Kobe of the
West Thirty-severth street station took
i the injured lad to the hospital in the
automobile which had hit him He was
dead when he reached there. Nolte was
locked up in the West Thirtieth street
| station on a technical charge of homi-
eide.
A Tompkins avenue car and an auto
| mobile crashed at Kingston avenue and
Lincoln place. Brooklyn, early yesterday.
The occupants of the machine were flung
| to the street. Benjamin Breakstone, rs,
Of sos Kelly street, The Bronx, died
few hours after the accident at the
| Swedish Hospital His skull. nose and
Jaw were fractured. The injured are:
sSfoLEN. Miss Ethel, 10, OF 1901 Bryant ave
nue.. Bronx. Both legs broken. condition Sc
rious. at Jewish Hospital. .i
! sPITzER. Julius. ,1s. of 20 Bcekman place,
| Manhattan. Lacerations Of scalp and pos
Kible internal injuries.
street. Manhattan Internai INJURIES
BLOOMFIELD, Miss Minnie, IS, of 1871 East
10th street, Manhattan. Fractured rib.
Frank Bergman OF SIS Pacific street
Brooklyn. motorman Of the car. has ecen
held for further hearing before Magis-
trate MCGUIRE in the Gates avenue court
! tomorrow.
Bergman insisted he had taken all
Proper precautions to avoid the crash.
The car was going south on Kingston
avenue and the automobile east on Lin
coin place. The automobile was being
driven by young Splitter. whose father
owned the machine. According to report
another man, a member of the party
| also hurt. was carried away in another
| machine.
John r. Smith. son OF Police Lieuten-
ant John Smith of the Sixty-ffth pre-
| cinct. New Brighton. Staten Island. was
driving his automobile along Jersey
street In Stapleton yesterday afternoon
when he saw several boys crossing ahead
OF MIN. He blew his horn and all of the
youngsters scampered to safety save Roy
de Sanitis. years old, of lis Brighton
avenue. who was walking backward and
apparently did not hear the warning
The motor car bowled him over and he
was taken to the Staten Island Hospital
where he died with fractured skull
Smith was exonerated. as the accident
was said by witnesses to have been I'M
! avoidable.
| Patroiman Rudolph wassing of the
| Coney Island station was standing on
the running board of a car IN Brooklyn
yesterday when an automobile driven by
Alfred Spirito of SO First avenue, Man
haitian, crashed into It. Spirito had
turned on his gas. thinking he could
cross the tracks ahead of the 'oncoming
car Wassing was thrown to the pave
ment and his skull was fractured. It
was said at the Coney Island Hospital,
where he was taken. that his coudftion
was critical. William Happier of 235
East Fifth street. Manhattan, who was
riding with Spirito was badly shaken
up. and was also taken to the hospital
1 Spirito wasS arrested on charges of
l fatoniOua at,lt and raclxIaaa drtyfpu