Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-02
CAR OVERTURNS
TWICE ON CURVE
HALE ESCAPES
Victim Won Prize i'm
First Race; Wife
Frustrated
ThOusanda See Races at
Brawley; Plan New
Track

Death was an unbidden entrant
and rode to victory in the New
Year automobile races held at the
Imperial Valley Country Club course
in Brawley yesterday, when Fred G.
Hackett, well known business man
of FL Centre, was killed and his
mechanician, A. G. Hale, painfully
bruised.
The tragedy occurred in the eighth
lap of the second race, when the
specially built Stutz, driven by
Hackett, overturned on a curve in
one of the most spectacular acci.
dents ever witnessed in the valley.
The car made two complete revoln-
tions in the air, throwing Hale freq
before it lit the first time, and car
rying Hackett with it on its second
leap, catapulting him a distance OF
25 feet to the ground.
Never Regaired Consciousness
A basal fracture of the skull re.
suited, from which Hackett never
regained consciousness. He was
rushed to the hospital in Brawley
where he died at 6 O'Clock last
night.
His wife, who witnessed the ac-
eident from the grandstand, was
Frustrated with shock and is under
the care of physicians today. A IL
year old daughter also survives.
Hackett, who has been local man.
ager of the Davies-Overlad automo-
bile company for three years, was
well known in automobile cirles in
the valley, and was a participant in
the Thanksgiving races.
He was 81 years old and
native of Tacoma, Washington.
Friends may view the remains this
afternoon at Lemons funeral par.
lors from 4:30 to $3.50. The body
will be taken on the night train
to San Diego, where funeral services
will be held tomorrow, with burial
in Greenwood cemetery.
Hale's escape from death was mir.
aculous, and he is at his home today
recovering from many bruises.
The Stutz ear, which was COM
pletely wrecked, was built at the
factory in indianapolis for fast rae
and experts express the opinion that
this fact may have been the cause
of the mishap, as the Brawley dirt
course track naturally cannot take
care of the same speed as a cement
course.
Howard Wins First Race
The first race, % laps, was won
in 2S minutes, 36 seconds, by F. r.
Howard, driving the famous Cog
gins Ford and Fred G.. Hackett at
the wheel of the ill-fated Stutz. The
prizes were $500 and 800. Third
place was taken by Earl Parslow OF
San Diego, driving Dodge special.
The muchtalked of Pritten special
and Maxwell special each threw a
wheel while going at terrific speed,
but no one was injured. C. E. Craw-
ford of San Diego, valley champion,
maintained a good lead for II laps
but ignition trouble put him out Of
the running altogether for the rest
of the afternoon.
Parslow Victor of Is Lap Race
The second race, 10 laps, carrying
a purse of $500, went to Earl Pars-
low, whose time record was 16 min
utes, so seconds. Coggins' Ford
went out with engine trouble and
the Ford Special driven by L. G..
Price also came to grief. The sporty
yellow Dodge maintained a splendid
lead all through the race, and des-
pite the confusion attendant upon
the accident, rolled off the final lap
well ahead of its competitors.
Meadows Wins 10 Laps
The third race, 10 laps, was the
pretties race of the day. John
Meadows driving a Dodge, sprinted
off to a good lead which he main
tanned consistently throughout the
race coming in victor in 10 minutes,
s seconds, to the tune of 5000 prize
money.
Judges of the event were Virgil
Juvenal, j. c. Mealy, Quay Smith,
Carl Anderson, w. w. Peterson, j.
f. Cough, and A. b. Arnold.
The new grandstand was filled
with spectators and hundreds Of
parked machines outside the course
attested to the large crowds in at.
tendance.
Manager Fred Cross states that
plans will go froward for the pro.
posed race on Washington s birth
day, which he promises to be the
biggest and best yet. Outside en-
trants have already signed up for
this event, no says, aud moro are
coming in. He states that q move.
ment is already under way to insure
modern up-to-the-minute eemsnt
race course for the valley.