Evening star., 1932-04-12
Estimated at 20 to IS, Niles.
an Hour at Coroser'sI'
Inquest. a
MANY WITNESSES CALLED
As HEARNe> is OPENED
Condition of Traffic Lights De-
clAhd o. X. in Seventeenth
>~stsset Accident.


was held for action by the grand
Jury today by coroner's jury inves-
tigating the crash at Seventeenth
street and Rhode Island avenue.
which killed three passengers on a
Capital Traction bus.
Conflicting testimony on the speed of
the two buses involved in a collision at
Rhode Island avenue and Seventeenth
street recently In which three persons
were killed marked the opening hours
OF coroner's inquest today in the Dis
trict Building
Judge Ralph Given of Police Court,
after being assisted to the witness
stand, testified he was a passenger on
a Capital Traction Co. bus going toward
the business section on Seventeenth
street when he noticed a Washington
Railway & Electric Co. bus approaching
on Rnooe Insland avenue at a speed, of
between 20 and Is miles an hour.
He described the speed Of the bus on
Whlch ne was riding as fairly rapid. I"
He added his bus was crossing the in
tersection on a green and amber light
Estimated at IS Miles.
Mathew P. Touhey of 3Ol6 Rodman
street. another passenger on the Capital
Traction bus, declared the Washington
Railway & Electric Co. bus appeared
to be moving at from 40 to IS miles
an hour.
THE other bus was coming along
Rhode Island avenue" Touhey testi-
fed. 1T seemed to be a tremendous
sort of uncontrolled force. The next
thing I knew I was in the hospital.
The doctors told me was incoherent
for three days
Touhey agreed his bus was proceeding
on green and amber light when the
accident occurred.
Miss Kathleen Conlon of 1891 Ca
thedral avenue, a passenger on the
Capital Traction bus, said her bus was
light.
Did Not See Other Bus.
She said she did not see the other
bus approaching.
John Enrieto OF 1858 Stuyvesant street
said he was reading a book on the
Capital Traction bus when the collision
took place. He did not notice the traf-
flc lights or the approach of the Wash
ington Railway & Electric Co. bus.
Il was interested in my book when
was knocked unconscious" Enrieto
said.
The first witness to take issue with
statements that the Capital Traction
Co. bus entered the intersection on a
green and amber light was Shelton B.
Crumpler of 4547 Forty-fourth street,
who was driving a truck along Rhode
Island avenue about $50 feet behind the
Washington Railway & Electric Co bus.
He said he was positive the Washington
Railway & Electric Co. bus entered the
intersection on a green light. Under
questioning by John j. Sirica, an as
sistant United States attorney, Crump.
Ter declined to estimate the speed of the
Washington Railway Electric Co. bus,
although he said it was going faster
than his truck. He was not asked the
speed of his truck.
Dr. Thomas Bradley, DR.. Ralph CAL
andrella and DR.. Edwin Mcnamara told
of treating the injured at Emergency
Hospital
George E. Darnall, headquarters de-
tective, identified photographs taken
soon after the accident by Police De-
partment photographer.
81 Witnesses Called.
Thirty-one witnesses were to help the
jury fix the responsibility for the COL
lision between the heavily loaded Cap
4luOtAOA1 w. AC AuAC Oho OOdAAA
from Chevy Chase to Union Station,
Railway g. Electric Co. coach.
The witnesses included police investi-
gators, physicians, traffic experts, pas
Sengers on the bus and others.
Those who lost their lives as a result
of the collision were M. E. Williamson,
AZ, secretary to Representative Edward
w. Pou of North Carolina, 1920 Con-
necticut avenue; Benjamin B. PettuS,
46, prominent lawyer, SSH Cedar Park
way, Chevy Chase, Md, and Clyde
Culp, so, 6407 Florida street, Chevy
Chase, Md
When the inquest commenced. at
11:45 O'Clock, the room was crowded.
Attorneys were present representing the
two transportation companies and the
families of Mr.. Pettus and Mr.. William
son. John j. Sirica represented the Dis
trict Attorney.
The first witness was Joseph C. FL
bert, surveyor, who introduced maps of
the intersection where the collision oc-
Cured He was followed on the stand
by Policeman Paul G. Tanner, third
precinct who told of arresting the
drivers of both busses.
William A. Van DuZer, director Of
traffic, then took the stand and testi-
fed that he tested the traffic lights at
the intersection and found them to be
in proper working order. He said the
amber light lasted seconds. 1t was
while this light was on that the two
busses collided.
He was asked by DR.. Joseph D.
Rogers, District coroner, who presided,
the law governing traffic at light
controlled intersection. Vehicles shall
enter an intersection only on green
light. he said. or when they can clear it
before the end of the amber flashes.
He testified that the regulations do not
permit vehicle that has been halted
by a red light TO cross the intersection
until the green signal has flashed
Attorneys Present.
Anticipating the public hearing which
will be held by the Public Utilities Com
mission rs result of the bus crash,
william A, Roberts, assistant eofpera-
ton counsel, and Richmond IA Keech
peoples counsel. were present a. ob.
servers. as waa Eafl v, Fisher secre-
tary TO the Public Utilities Commission,
Both bus drivers, who are AZ liberty
under $4,000 bond each, were present,
They are Louis H. Mesley, ~, iet7
Lamont street, operator of the WASH
ingten Railway u Electric Co, bua, and
Joseph r, Turner, ~. ais NJ street
southwest, driver " the de luxe Capital
TIaetien eeaeh, Among the witnesses
who we're 90 testify later Ia the day was
Police Court judge Ralph Given. who
sustained minor injuries Ia the crash.
John u, fasiaf, attorney represented
Mira Williamson, and joseph G. Me-
usffashy was pfeeent IN the interest
Of the eettus family n. NJ. KeySer
represented the Washington Railway a.
Electric Co and attorneys for the Capt.
tai Traction Co, were q. Louis Dunlop