The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-06
Pope Exonerated d In :
 New Years Fatality
Former Alderman Freed in Connection With Death of
 John Gerber, Naugatuck Resident

Straitsyille section of Naugatuck, at about o'clock in the afternoon of New Yenr'B day, 1884, went to the roadside store of William y. Evers, located on the Bethany road so-called, which is the main state highway between Naugatuck and New Haven, to make n purchase of cigarettes. There was consid- crable snow on the ground left ovor from n snow storm which had occurred shortly before but at that particular time 1t was raining and tho highway near EverS' store was free of snow and ice but very wet. After Gerber had made his purchase he left the store, which is also n gasoline station, went.out in front of the store and looked right and left on the highway, and then started out into tho highway.
 At this time n large Cadillac se- dan, operated by Frank Pope or Waterbury. was proceeding nortH from tho direction of New Haven towards Naugatuck, and was ap- preaching the Evcrs' store at q reasonable rate of speed. Gerber apparently looked at tho automo- bile before he stepped into the highway, but paid no attention to the machine. He started across tho roadway to the side opposite Evers' but when he had gotten al- most to the middle of the road, ap- parently hearing tho sound of the approaching motor car, he turned around, looked towards it, and then stepped back into tho path of the approaching automobile.
 Tho operator of the car. MT pepc. immediately applied his brakes and the car started into a skid, the front of the car turning toward the left or westerly side of the road and the rear of tho car swinging fin n circular motion in the same direction. Gerber was then directly in the path of the skidding machine, and the right rear door of tho machine struck him and threw him Il distance of over twenty-five feet, where he landed in the highway on the left aide of tho road. The car turned so that 1t was headed the opposite way from which tt had been pro- cceding and came to rest in a snow bank on the westerly side of the road.
 As I went to the scene of tho accident and as 1 stood at the edge of tho highway in front of Evers' store. was impressed with the fact that large metal sign on a post on the Bethany side of tho pathway from the store to the road hid the view of tho highway in tho direction of Bethany. 30 l am in- cllncd to believe. although Gerber was looking in that direction, his view of tho road was blocked by this sign and that he stepped out into the pathway of the approach ing automobile, unconscious of its presence. although his attitude in- dicatod to the approaching driver that no wns aware of his presence. l believe that if tho deceased had continued across the road. instead of stepping back. the automobile would have passed him safely.
 Az result of hls being struck and thrown to tho highway by the automobile driven by MT Pope. the deceased suffered n fracture 8t tho baso Of the skull. fracture of the left fcmur, left cIhvlcle, the sixth, seventh. eighth and ninth ribs on the right side, with internal in- JurIcS.
 find that said death was caused by n fracture of the skull with the other above recitod injuries. and that said death was not caused by any criminal act. omission or carelcssncss on tho part of said pepo".