The Redwood gazette., 1935-06-13
WOMAN KILLED
in ACCIDENT AT
SANBORN CORNER
Mrs. ]. M. Ryan of WOrthing-
ton Victim of Crash with
New Ulm Car

Springfield-Mrs. John M. Ryan,
29 of Worthington died at st.
Johns hospital in this city Friday
night at 10:40 as a result of an
auto collision that took place at
the Sanborn corner on trunk high
way IA at four that afternoon
when the car she was driving was
struck by car driven by Walter
Trettien, New Ulm, insurance
man.
The only eye witness, outside
the cars involved, was Charles M.
Brewster, proprietor of the Phil
lips gas station at the intersection,
and possibly the occupants Of an
other car said to have been park
ed at the intersection but not
known to the authorities, the car
having disappeared without trace.
The woman was rushed to the
hospital in semi-conscious condi-
ton, barely able to speak, and
lapsed into coma from which
she never again emerged. Her
little daughter riding with her was
only slightly injured.
Failed to See Car
Mrs. Ryan had been visiting her
husband at Willmar. She was
travelling south on highway II.
Trettien was driving east, return
ing to New Ulm from a trip to
Balaton. At the coroner's inquest
which was held Saturday after
noon, he said that he looked first
to the left as he approached the in
tersection and saw only car come
to stop at the arterial stop sign
on II. He then looked to the right
seeing no car approach from that
side. AS he again looked ahead
he saw the Ryan car Immediately
in front of him, slammed on the
brakes, but could not avert the
crash. His car struck the rear
wheel, the front part of the car
having passed his car. Both cars
landed in the ditch on the right
side of ID but neither overturned.
He testified that he had been trav-
cling between 35 and 40 miles per
hour and on approaching the in
tersection had reduced his speed
about five miles. His car was only
three weeks old.
In the Trettien car were his
wife, three small children, his mo-
ther-in-law, Mrs. A. Groth, of Ap-
pleton, Wisconsin and another rel
ative, Herman Bettien, also of
Wisconsin. Bettien rode with him
in the front seat, holding one of
the children, and confirmed Mr..
Trettien's story. None of the oc-
cupants of this car were injured.
Mr.. Brewster rushed to the res
cue of the woman, not noticing
the girl, who later was found un-
conscious in the grass. Mr.. Bloem-
ke, who runs another oil station
brought a pail of water for Mr..
Brewster, who did what he coulC
to stem the flow of blood, while
Mr.. Bloemke phoned to this city
for a doctor.
Mrs. Ryan's skull was fractur.
ed at the base. Her death was at
tributed to a cerebral hemorrage
Walter F. Haak was plowing
corn about 300 feet west of the
intersection. He heard the crash
and saw the car parked at the in
tersection which would indicate
that Mrs. Ryan's car was not the
one that Trettien saw stop. Mr.
Brewster testified that he did not
see the car said to have stopped
either before or after the accident
Third Car Doubted
Mr.. Ryan, husband of the dead
woman refused to testify at the
inquest further than to identify
the body, but it is his contention
that the car which other witnesses
saw stop was his wife's car. He
was represented at the inquest by
Attorney w. B. Frank.
County Attorney Streissguth
conducted the examination of wit
nesses before Coroner Reineke and
the jury. The accident having oc-
Cured in Redwood county, County
Attorney George A. Barnes was
present and questioned the witness
ses. He advised Mr.. Trettien that
any statements which he might
make could be used against him
but the latter talked freely of the
accident. The inquest was held
at the Forster Mortuary. The
body was taken to Worthington
for burial Tuesday.