Imperial Valley press., 1934-03-05
THREE KILLED
DURING RACES
tContinued Prom Page Il

that the banks on the turns should
be Sloped so that stalled cars might
be run into the infield and also that
j flagmen should be posted all around
the course. No provisions were made,
he said, for tow cars TO get at STALL
ed racers.
J. Q. Macdonald. member of the
state highway patrol was the next
witness He told of seeing from
where he was stationed at the north
end of the track, that WilkerSon' S
car had been stalled and that Will
kerSon had walked back a ways mo-
tioning the other cars past his car,
A tow car arrived on the infield and
started TO pus hit out of the turn.
1t was very dusty at that point,
Macdonald said. Suddenly he heard
a thud and then the cars piled up
so quickly that it was hard to fol-
low the details. Had there been a
Signalman on the back stretch, he
said. the other racers might have
been warned and slowed down.
Macdonald was questioned by
members of the jury relative to the
reception of Hafley who was taken
to La Solana hospital here He stat
ed that the manager of the hospital
seemed antagoniStic and wanted
deposit of Sl00 before doing any
thing for the injured man. 1t was
his opinion that the surface of the
race track was all right but other
wise proper precautions had not
been taken. He stated that immed-
lately after the double wreck, many
persons ran out onto the race
course.
More Officers Testify
Lewis Mitchell also a member OF
the highway patrol, was the next
witness. He stated that he had been
with Macdonald at the time OF the
crash and his evidence conceded
with that given by Macdonald. He
added that he had accompanied
Smith to the office OF DR.. Gray in
Bill Tackett, another member of
the patrol, was next called. He stat
ed that from where he was he could
not sec the stalled car but saw
Smiths car when it overturned.
hit Smiths car, he said, i'll
the center of the rack. Trlplett
then lost control of his car. Gordon
was on the inside of the wreck and
there were a number of men on the
track running to get the car Oft
Smith and GorGon barely missed
striking several of them.
1t was Tackett's opinion that even
if there had been a dozen flagmen
on the course it would have been
difficult to have stopped
Either Gordon or Triplett who were
travelling at such a high rate OF
speed. These two drivers, he said,
were going into tao south turn
when Smith turned over and it was
about 35 seconds laSer when they
were around the north curve and
into the wreck.
DR.. Donald Marchus, Imperial,
was called to the stand to give MS
testimony. He stated that he had
been close to where the crash oc-
CURED and accompanied Hafley to
La Solana hospital in the latter S
tow truck. He took him to the sur
gerry at the hospital and made his
examination. Hafley was suffering
from severe shock. broken ribs,
severe scalp wbInd and his legs
were crushed almost to pulp
Complete rest was the best thing
for him at that time, DR.. Marchus
said. and Drs. L. C. House and 0. h.
Van Eman who were also called IN,
concurred in this decision.
DR.. Marchus stated that Haley
did not suffer from lack of medical
treatment or hospitilization, but ad-
ded that in his opinion the treat
ment received at the hospital was
not of the best.
Ed w. Stever. Manhattan Beach
California. was the last witness
called. He identified the remains OF
Triplett. Foliowing this testimony
the jury reached its verdict.
Smith died in the Brawley hospl-
tai early last evening while Hafley
and Triplett expired at La Solana
hospital the latter's death occur
ring at II o'clock last night. The
bodies Of the three men were to be
for hIrip