The Washington times., 1931-03-20
CARS NEE 7
ON NARROW
BRIDGE
Huge Auto Stage En- Route to
Norfolk; All Victims Are
Passengers; | Unidentified
Continued From Page y

Passengers; ! Unidentified
Continued From Page y
teenth St. N. w. He suffered a
broken left arm. After being given
emergency treatment at the Fort
Humphreys Hospital, he was
taken to the Alexandria Hospital
and later left for home.
Loaded With Eggs
The heavy truck driven by
John Clements was loaded with
hundreds of cases of eggs being
shipped to Washington.
Passengers on the bus who
were injured were:
Louise Powell, 419 Nelson St.,
Portsmouth, Va.
Robert HardcaStle, 327 Wal
nut Ave-, Oaklyn, N. ].
J. E. Lawrence, WOOdville,
N. c.
Mrs. Mabel M. Mcdaniel, 1341
West FOrty-seventh St., Norfolk,
Va.
Matte L. Hale, cOlOred, Wins
tOn-Salem, N. C.
w. w. Martin, 529 Warren
Crescent, Norfolk, Va.
John w. Shaw, EdentOn, N.
C.
]. C. WilIoughby, Fort Eustis,
Va.
All the injured were taken to
the Fort Humphreys Hospital
Lawrence, who suffered broken
arm and possible internal injuries,
was later removed to the Alex
andria Hospital.
DR.. c. A. Ransom, Fairfax
county coroner, arrived on the
scene shortly after the wreck and
at once started an inquest.
Driver TeStifieS
Clements, driver, was the first
witness called. He declared that
there was no reflector at the
bridge and that he was almost on
TOP of the narrow crossing before
he was aware Of the concrete
abutmentS.
He put Ola his brakes before
starting across the narrow bridge,
he said, slowing down to about
Is miles an hour. He had seen
the headlights of the approach
ing bus, he said, but thought he
had plenty of room to pass on
the highway.
He was about two-thirds Of the
Way across the bridge when the
collision came. So terrific was
tie force that the truck bounded
off the bus into the concrete
sbutment and put a huge crack
III it. The abutment is about 81
inches high and 8 inches thick.
Nothing could be learned con-
cerning the unidentified man.
Mccall, the driver, could not at
tend the hearing because of his
injuries, and none of the other
passengers could recall where the
man had got on the bus. There
were no papers or other means OF
Identification.
The man was about 40 years
old. 5 feet 9 inches tall and
weighed roxim ately 165
pounds. His dark hair had
thinned at the temples. He wore
a dark wooden suit, a tan-colored
shirt, black oxfords and was with
out a vest.
Others Unhurt
Clements, w. B. Omohundro,
Bill Griffin Ave-, Richmond,
cwrer of the truck, and R. E.
Sparks, of Ashland, Va, g pas
senger. escaped with slight injur-
ieS. tl ."'fTr''
Traffic Policeman Perry Nc
Cam, who started an in"eStiga-
ton into the wreck, declared that
the bridge is 18 feet wide and
that each of the wrecked vehicles
was eight feet wide, leaving a
clearance of two feet.
He declared that from the
amount of damage done they
both must have been travelling
at high rate of speed.
DIR. Ransom questioned several
of the passengers who were only
slightly injured i'm the crash but
they were unable to give much
information as most of them we're
sleeping at the time.
Passengers Resume Trip
Following this DR.. Ransom an
nounced that he would go to
Alexandria, interview Lawrence
in the hospital and then go to
Washington and talk to the bus
driver. He will then give YER
dict in the case. -
Most of the injured passengers
resumed their trip South on
special bus sent for them at 10
o'clock this morning. The bodies
of those killed we're taken to
Wheatley's undertaking parlors in
Alexandria where they are being
held for relatives.
Reach Bridge Same Time
According to Fairfax County
police, who are investigating the
accident, both vehicles were ap-
parently travelling at a high rate
of speed.
They both came to the bridge
over the run at about the same
moment, and, being wide vehicles,
were unable to clear each other
on the narrow bridge.