Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-12
PROBE TRAGEDY
At WOODBRIDGE
Driver of Automobile Tells
How Fatal Grade Crossing
Accident Occurred

County Detective William Fitz-
patrick, of this city, who has been
assigned by Prosecutor Stricken to
investigate the grade crossing acct
dent on st. Georges road between
Woodbridge and Railway which re-
suited in the death of John Mac
Fayden of 263 Elm street, this city.
and the injury of three other occu-
pants of the automobile which
struck a Philadelphia g. Reading
freight engine, has secured from
William Wood, the driver of the car.
a statement of how the accident &C.
Cured.
According to William Wood, who
also lives at 263 Elm street, he was
driving his car toward Perth Amboy
at a speed of about twenty or TWEEN
ty-five miles an hour. MacFayden
was sitting in the front seat with
Wood and in the rear seat were Mrs.
Wood and Jean MacFayden, a sister
of MacFayden.
The driver said he had been oper-
ating a car since March and was we'll
acquainted with the road. AS he ap-
preached the tracks of the fast line,
which are only a short distance west
of the P. & r. tracks, Wood said,
he allowed his a to slow down and
let it proceed under it's own momen-
tum. Passing the fast line tracks,
he said, he looked to the left and
saw nothing approaching from the
north on the P. & r. tracks. Owing
to a high bank of dirt on the south
side of the road, Wood said, he was
unable to tell if anything was ap-
preaching from the south. He said
hA L1o vi M r-o~rf1- hn1I NJ ri1o at
the crossing nor did he hear any
whistle from the locomotive as it ap-
preached the crossing.
When about fifty feet from the
crossing, Wood said he suddenly saw
the red danger lights flash back and
forth in the warning tower. RealiZ-
ing that the train must be coming
from the south, he said. he imme-
diately swung the steering wheel to
his left in an effort to miss striking
the locomotive. He could not turn
sharp enough, however, and crashed
into the locomotive, he said, his ma
chine catching on the insill OF the
locomotive which resulted in the
automobile being dragged along the
track.
Patrolman Dunphy of Woodbridge,
n of the first to arrive at the scene
of the tragedy, told Detective Fitz-
patrick the freight train had been
cut, following the accident so as TO
allow traffic over the road to con-
tinue. The signal bell was still ring
ing and the light was flashing when
he arrived, the officer said.
The investigation of Detective
Fitzpatrick brought out the fact that
Woods body al wedged in under
the steering wheel as a result OF the
collision, it being necessary for those
who were at the scene of the acct
dent a few minutes after it occur
red to get him out. MacFayden's
body was forced around the steering
column, he having been killed al
most instantly. the investigation
showed.
Detective Fitzpatrick and Prosecu-
tor Stricken were comforting today
for the purpose of determining
whether or not to charge any one
with responsibility for the accidents.
OF the three persons still in the
Railway hospital, Mrs. Wood is she
least injured, it was learned at TIE
hospital today, Miss M~acFayden is
suffering from a broken right arm.
Wood is badly cut and bruised, but
no bones are broken. The women
also suffered from shock. decorations
and abrasions. DIR. Hoagland of
Woodbridge is attending those in the
hosnitaI-