The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-23
2 DEATH s TOL |
Of GRADE CROSSING
IN RECENT MONTHS
Coroner Complies Figures For
Use In Railroad Cau-
ton Campaign

Twenty-Five deaths have resulted
from grade crossing accidents In JEFF
ferson county since February, 1921.
according to information compiled by
Coroner J. D. Russum for use by Biz
mingham railroads during the grade
crossing campaign to be conducted
next week to bring before the public
the necessity of exercising more eau
ton in approaching railroad and
street car crossings. seventeen
deaths occurred at railroad crossings
and i've persons were killed by be-
ing struck at street car crossings.
Most tragic of the crossing acct
dents in recent years was that which
resulted in the death of five persons
when an automobile containing seven
people We're struck by an Alaba ma
Great Southern train at Montevallo
road crossing near Elmwood ceme-
terry on Nov. %, 1921. Mrs. j. A.
brooks. J. A. Brooks, B. A. Brooks.
Warren Hendry, a two year-old child,
and Mrs. J. II. Hendry were killed
and the other two finally recovered.
-Four young men. Winfield Scott.
Iampkn, Nugent V. Vairin, j. y.
Harris and Grady Edwards received
injuries which resulted in the death
Of ALI when an automobile in which
they were riding smashed into
tring of freight cars standing across
FIRST favcnue at Thirtysecond street
rarly Sunday morning on April 8,
- Their wrecked automobile be-
~ame iguited but was extinsuished
rs the fire department before burn
lag up,
Another grade crossing accident
hich deprived Birmingham of one
of it's oldest and best known physf.
clans was that in which DIR. Lewis
WhaleY was killed when his car was
struck by 4 passenger train az Lar
doua crossing on March 10. 1928.
Harrictt Lesser and Mrs. Barr OF
Bessemer were killed outright on Nov.
-. f9e2 by an Alabama Great South
era frcich; train which struck an
automobile beine driven by Mrs. Mon
roc Lessor a. .Pov-derly road crossing
on the South Hessen'er highway.
@ .hcr ue..hs 1t Crossings.
Hther crossing deaths are as fol-
lcvs:
y. i. Ncnaon. hit by street car at
Avenue / and Twenty fourth street,
Ensley, ON February 10. 1927. Two
other deaths resulted later.
Lee Wyatt. auto and street car
collision at Bessemer on May 20,
1922
Lyle and Dorothy Mae Mathews,
both small children. killed on May
Ala bamai Great Southern passenger
by their father. was struck by an
train at I'ifty-sixth street. Car com
pletely destroyed.
Juaneta Gentry. riding in car driven
in front of street car on November
%. 1921, at Seventh first street and
First avenue.
Mrs. Laura c. ORar, hit by a
Louisville and Nashville train while
walking across a track at Pelham,
Ala. on July %. 1922.
j. 3. Noojin, Boaz. Ala, was rid
ing in an automobile which was
struck by train at Faulkville cross
ing on November II. 1922. Noojin
died at a Birmingham hospital.
Ollie d. iMcGraw, the cononer's rec
ords show. drove his automobile into
the side of an Alabama Great South
ern engine at Fourteenth street and
Railroad avenue on Christmas day,
1922. He died from his injuries.
Every effort will be made in the
coming campaign to bring to the
minds of the public, both autosts
and. pedestrians. the danger attend
ing careless aoproachs of crossings
and raitfoad tracks. Railroad off
cials are. convinced that the yearly
deaths from such accidents can be
greatly lowered by placing the grav-
ity of the situation before the peo-
pie.