Evening star., 1938-12-16
Bates Road
Grade Crossing
Death Pr'obed
Richard H. Bradley
Killed at Only
D. C.Iock Hozurd


Baltimore g. Ohio passenger train
late yesterday and carried quarter
Of a mile down the track from the
Bates street NE. crossing.
The investigators were told that
passenger flyers entering and leav-
ing the city passed at the crossing
just before the crash. Mr.. Bradley,
it was believed, waited for the out
ward-bound train to pass, and drove
onto the tracks behind it before
he was aware of the other flyer.
Engineers View Obscured.
Engineer Edward Swiggins did
not see the sedan on the right-of-
way until his heavy, speeding train
had almost plowed into it. His
view of one side Of the tracks had
been obscured by the passing string
of Pullmans. He jammed on his
emergency brakes, but could not
bring the train to halt until it had
carried Mr.. Bradley's car a quarter
of mile down the rails in front
Of the locomotive.
Investigators were told the warm
ing lights guarding the crossing
were in operation at the time of the
accident. The grade crossing was
the scene IN February of 1887 of
the death of two other motorists
J. P. Corbin, As, of Silver Spring,
Md, and c. G. Shipton, 40, of $3.50
Colorado avenue NV.
The grade crossing is the only
one left in the District where mo-
torists must watch out for fast
passenger trains. Funds for build
ing an overpass at the crossing were
allocated last July by the Federal
Grade Crossing Project of the Bu-
reau of Public Roads. Plans are
almost complete for the S240, 900 i'm
provement, and bids probably will
be called for the first of next year.
Mr.. Bradley apparently was re-
turning home from his work as
salesman for a food product COM
pany when the accident occurred.
His body was badly mangled and
was first identified from clothing
and papers
A large throng of spectators, in.
Guiding students from nearby Catho-
lie University, gathered at the scene,
and extra police were detailed to
reroute traffic.
Coroner Macdonald learned upon
arriving on the scene that the young
victim of the accident was a member
OF family of his closest friends,
Or. Macdonald was to determine to-
day If an inquest will be necessary.
AT the time of the accident young
Bradleys mother, Mrs. Jessie S.
Bradley, and sister, Eleanor E.
Bradley, were downtown on Christ
mas shopping tour. They were in
formed Of the tragedy by DR.. Louis
Francis Bradley, the father, and
Sidney E. Bradley, brother of the
victim. DR.. Bradley is pharmacist,
Members of the family said young
Bradley was engaged to marry Miss
Mary Jane Hankins of 59O1 Fourth
street NV. a stenographer for a
local insurance firm.
Truck Injuries Children.
A truck which careened into a
safety zone at Twenty-fourth street
and Benning road NE. yesterday
afternoon knocked down and in
Jured six colored children, two seri-
ously.
The two believed badly hurt were
Charles Stroman, IA, of 721 Fifty
rlrst street NE. and Alphonse Pea
man, l5, OF 6l5 Division street NE,
VINO were treated at Casualty Hos
pltal for contusions and possible
fractures of the spine. The others
escaped with cuts and bruises.
The truck, police said, swerved
into the safety zone after turning to
avoid a machine which had stopped
suddenly in front of it.
Ihree persons were treated for
cuts In the Alexandria, Va, General
Hospital this morning, following a
collision between their automobile
and a large trailer truck bearing
citrus fruit from Florida.
According to police, the autono.
bile driven by Miss Georgia L.
Rodgers of the 900 block of Frank
I'm street. collided with the trailer
at the intersection of Princess and
Henry streets in Alexandria. Miss
Rodgers received face wounds. Miss
Katherine Ayres of the 300 block of
queen street was treated for minor
cuts and Clarence Smith, 400 block
OF Queen street, received cuts on
the forehead.
w. Refs Miller, Is, of Bowling
Green, Fla, the driver of the truck
| was uninjured.
Paul Ludwig, IA, of % Kentucky
avenue, Parkland, Md, suffered a
possible fracture of the skull last
night, police said, when he ran into
the side Of moving street car in
the 600 block of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. Sc. He was taken to Proyi.
dence Hospital.
Roy Fisher, 8, of 1881 Naylor road
Sc, was treated at Gallinger Hos
pital last night for cuts and bruises
received when hit by a car near his
home.
Mrs. Mary Wilson, so, of Stras-
burg, Va, suffered severe cuts and
bruises about the head late yester-
day when the automobile which she
was driving and car driven by w,
B. Owens Of Shenandoah, Va, coll
Ided head-on a mile west of Cen.
terville, Va, on the Lee highway.
Mrs. Wilson was taken to the Alex.
andria Hospital. where her con-
ditiop was said to be fair" today.
Mr. Owens was not held by police.
Sheriff Eppa P. Kirby of Fairfax
County said neither car was driving
at an excessive speed.
Crossing Crash Kills Two.