The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-22
BOY KILLED, THREE BADLY
HURT IN TRAIN-AUT0 CRASH
FIaCkViIIe Lad, Washington
H. S. Pupil, Is Victim
in Tragedy.
OTHER CHILDREN HURT
Inmate of County Infirmary
Is Struck by Flying
WreCkage.

Charles Crosse, of Flackville,
15-year-old Washington High
School pupil, was killed and
three other persons were in
jured seriously today when a
Big Four freight train struck
an auto at the Tibbs-av cross
ing.
Charles died as he was being lifted
into an ambulance to be sent to City
Hospital. He was the 45th person
to die in Marion County traffic acci-
dents this year.
Critically injured and rushed to
City Hospital for emergency treat
ment we're:
Mrs. Ella Mellinger, AZ, F'lackville,
driver Of the car, and her'two chill
dren, also Washington pupils; Mary
E. Mellinger, 16, whose condition was
said to be extremely critical, and
Robert, Is, less seriously injured.
Struck by Flying Wreckage
Also injured though not paSSen-
ger in the car, was Victor Malady,
IA, of the Marion County Indrmary,
who was struck and bruised by fly
ing bits of the wreckage.
The car was demolished when it
was hurled by the force of the COL
lision across the street into group
of utility poles. The passengers
were thrown on the ground.
Warming Signs Working
School bound, the auto was driven,
three witnesses said, on to the track
in spite of a ringing bell, flashing
| light and the efforts of Robert
Townsley, IA, of 1859 w. Michigan
st, traffic watcher for School "a.
who said he apparently was unable
to catch Mrs. Mellinger's eye with
his signals.
The train, inbound from Sheldon,
Ill, was in charge of E. o. Hartley,
So, OF 1852 Reid-pl, conductor, and
Charles Baird, 5120 Maple-lane, en-
gineer.
The father of the two injured
children, and husband of the car
driver, is Arthur Mellinger, car
penter- contractor, who was at work
when the accident occurred.
At the Flackville school we're
other children in the family, George,
ID; Russell, Il; Walter. 8, and
Alice, T.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Crosse, neigh
bors to the Mellingers. are the par
ents of the dead youth. Mr. Crosse
work with the Weber Milk Co. Mrs.
Crosse, who was taken to City Hos
pital by a neighbor when she was
notified of the accident, has been i'll
for two years since the death of an
other son.
Mary Mellinger is high scholar
ship student in the junior class, a
member of the Latin Club and
member of the Civic Quest Club, a
citizenship organization.
Several Escape Injury
The weekend was marked by re-
markable escapes of several motor
lists, by slight injuries to 10 others
and by five more or less violent
crashes in which no one was in
jured
Last night a speeding passenger
train flicked a car right out from
under Thomas Reeves, %, grocer, Of
203O Brookside-av, at the west end
Of Lawrence.
His car stalled on the tracks, Mr..
Reeves said, and seeing the train
approaching he started to get out Of
the car. He misjudged the speed Of
the train, however, and had Just
stepped to the running board when
the crash came. The impact took
the car out from under him and left
him at the side of the track, unin-
jured
His car was ground to bits and
strewn along 200 feet of the right-of-
way. The locomotive pilot was
damaged, but the train went on to
Cleveland.
Sidney Brown, ~. R. R. 1, Mar
tinsville, suffered no injury at all,
but his artificial leg was damaged
when a train struck his truck at
Kentucky-av and the Belt railroad
tracks last night and dragged the
wreckage 120 feet.
Driver Is Arrested
Orville Savage, 81, also of Mar
tinsville, companion, received
minor scratches. Mr.. Brown was
slated for disobeying a railroad
traffic signal.
Into the nearly dry bed Of Pogue'sA
Run, at E. 30th-st, plunged a car
driven by Balls Kelly, %. Hazard.
KY, last night, but Mr.. Kelly
emerged with no injuries. He said
bright lights Of an approaching car
blinded him and caused him to
drive of the pavement.
over the weekend, IS drivers
were arrested on traffic violation
charges. Forty were convicted in
Municipal Court today.