Imperial Valley press., 1920-08-13
CAR DASHES
THREE To
INSTANT
DEATH
Careless Driving Ends i'm
Tagedy When Machine
Catapaults into the Alamo
River Near Brawley. Two
Escape Wreckage.
The Dead

Miss Helen Smith, II, telephone op-
orator, Hlawley.
Miss Francis Hubbard, %, employed
by Hart and Carey, Brawley.
Joseph Lay, about 35, fruit in
spector, Ginelle Company, Brawley.
Three persons We're killed last
night when Dodge touring car,
ldriven BY Joe Lay shot off the road
crossing the Alamo river at point
about quarter of a mile west of the
Alamorio dance hall near Brawley,
catapulting into the river. In the car
were Lay, Harry Cado, Miss Smith,
Miss Hubbard and Paul Smith
Lay, said to be an inexperienced
and careless driver, was driving a ma
chine with only one headlight, and
with a windshield so thickly covered
with dust as to make it practically
impossible to see the road, according
to testimony given at the coroner's m-
quest held this morning in the Null
gan. funeral parlors. 1t was also said
that Lay turned around from time to
time, and spoke to the occupants of
the rear seat.
The approach to the bridge is pro-
tected by V shaped projection, end
piles have been driven into the bank
of the stream bordering the road, to
prevent the rivers washing out the
road. Lay in his carelessness ev;-
IDENTIFY mistook the space between the
nearest pile and the outside corner of
one of the wings for the entrance to
The bridge. The machine struck tn.
pile, and was catapualted 20 feet in
to the river below drop of 36 feet.
Lay, Miss Smith and Miss Hubbard
were ripned under the car, Cado was
partially caught by It, but was able
to eXtl icate. himself. Smith was pm
Hci COVE by the ear, / III was aole To
gee his head above Water. Cado as
sisted him in escaping. and then the
two attempted to get the others from
beneath the wreckage.
Cado's back was severely injured,
and he swooned in attempting to get
the others out. Smith then carried
him up the bank of the stream, and
across the bridge. Smith started on
a run for the dance hall, arriving in
an exhausted condition.
A large party Immediately set out,
and succeeded in getting the bodies
of Lay and the two young ladies
from beneath the car. They were
rushed to DIR. Hutchinson, in Brawley,
where they were worked over for
hours. All attempts to resuscitate
them failed.
The verdict of the jury was that
the three had met their death through
an automobile accident due to careless
driving.
Miss Helen Smith, aged II, was en-
ployed as a telephone operator in
Brawley. Paul Smith, her brother, is
bookkeeper for the Number 8 water
company. Miss Francis Hubbard, %.
was employed by Hart and Carey;
She was recently employed in the
Brawley post office. Harry Cado is
employed by the Southern Pacific Co.
Joe Lay was fruit Inspector for Gin
ellie and company. Miss Hubbard was
born in Gallup, N. M.
Miss Hubbard, Miss Smith and Paul
Smith had just returned from the
moving picture show in Brawley when
Lay drove by. He asked them II they
cared to go for ride. They got into
the rear of the car and drove to Ala
mario, where they danced for a short
J time and then started to return 70
Brawley 1t was on their return that
the catastrophe occurred.