Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-24
ROAD DEATH TOLL
A IN Is MONTHS
Defense Highways Black
Record of Agony Spurs
Improvement Drive.

Another blast at Defense cDeathD
Highway was fired today when police
disclosed that its criminal record
was one of the blacklist in the State
fatalities have occurred on its treach-
erous surface at the rate OF almost one
q month for the past IS months.
Fourteen deaths in Is months is the
notorious record against the highway
which public sentiment demands must
be widened at once.
1.-The life-blood of those IA inno-
cent souls, three Of them nuns, will
have been spilled in vain unless the
authorities recognize that the contin-
ued operation of the highway in its
present condition is menace" States
Attorney Alan Bowie of Prince
Georges County said.
Many Death Traps.
The victims, however, may become
martyrs, he said, if the authorities
can be impressed with the magnitude
of the death list, resolve to check The
rate at which it is growing and abolish
the roads many death traps" through
widening.
Having directed the police investi-
cations of all the accidents; none OF
which resulted in the conviction of
drivers involved, Bowie and those who
have served on coroner's juries are
convinced the responsibility for the
fatalities lies chiefly in the structure
of the road.
When it is borne in mind that for
every fatality there are at least loo
persons injured. the tremendous
amount of human agony that has re
suited from accidents on the highway
becomes even more impressive. Every
milepost along the treacherouS curves
marks the spot where some tragedy
occurred.
Officials Awakened.
Their mute appeal for a better,
wider, straighter highway has awaken
ed county and State officials to the
need for converting Death Highway
into one of life and security.
Eloquent of the necessity for i'm
mediate action is the bulky file of fatal
accident reports in the Laurel State
police station. So much like any othe,
file of letters, and yet so different-it
constitutes record of human calamity
which citizens and officials feel cannot
be brushed aside with a mere mo
funds available to build the road now
excuse.
There could be no better use for
money than to improve Death High
Way to prevent doubling o;
trebling in the next Is months of this
record of fatalities:
May %, 1852. A. Anderson of
Jacksonville, Fla, killed when his car
went off one of the treacherous curves
near Bladensburg and struck tree.
Man and Wife Killed.
June 81, 1933--Mr and Mrs George
Harvel. z1o9 Water street, killed on
the curve near Trinity Church.
May 80, 1881. c. Duke, 3945
Connecticut avenue, killed near Priests
Bridge.
July %, 1934-Everett C. Passeno,
1925 G street northeast, killed near
Priests Bridge.
august "A, l934-Margaret j. CAL
lahan, Baltimore, killed near Trinity
Church.
November Is, 1934-William Edward
Carrill of Elisha, Md, killed near Col
lngton.
May 20, 1935-Thomas E. Mohler
Of Tuxedo, Md, killed near Bladens-
burg.
June 10, 1935-Annie Dorsey, COL
ored, Fairmont Heights, killed near
Lanham.
August 20, 1935-John Mccarthy,
626 Quebec place; Sister Mary Ber-
nard, Sister Frances Gabriel, Sister
Winifred Jean and Miss Winifred
Slaven, killed near Trinity Church
curve.