Milford chronicle., 1939-08-11
FOUR KILLED IN
AU TO CRASH
LAST THURSDAY
tconrinued from FIRST Page,

NCon1nued from rIst FA&eJ
Mrs. Dryden died of crushed
chest and Powell of a fractured
skull and cerebral hemorrhage. Her
husbands body was wedged inside
the rear of the car and police had to
tear off portions of the car roof be-
fore he could be taken out.
Lieutenant Roger P. Elderkin of
the State police, who assisted Pri-
Yates Robert Hall and Millard Corn
well in investigating, said there were
no eye witnesses except the driver.
Suddenly Loses Control
Questioned shortly after he was
taken to the hospital, Fehling told
police that the only thing he could
recall was that the car had suddenly
gone out of CONTROL police said.
/ Police, who reconstructed the ac-
cident from tire marks on the road,
said the car was travelling on a
straight stretch when it swerved to-
ward the right shoulder of the road.
The tire marks ran 100 feet on the
shoulder toward a large tree. Upon
striking this tree. the car caTeened off
and Travelled about 40 feet before
crashing into another tree, where it
was brought to a stop.
Blowout Theory Discounted
Lieutenant Elderkin. who investi-
gates the majority of the major ac-
cidents in New Castle county for the
State police. said the tire marks gave
no indication of tire blowout hav-
ing caused the crash.
Io nninfad Onf fhaf ba
were clear and distinct and that they
showed no signs of wobbling until af-
ter the first tree was struck, the i'm
pact with which tore three of the
tires from the rims.
A piece of the iron bumper was
imbedded eight inches into the first
tree. The car, 1889 model sedan was
demolished. Damages was placed at
5000.
Police also said the speedometer
was jammed at 67 miles-an-hOur in
the wrecked car. But they pointed
out this was no sure indication of
how fast the car actually was travel /
ing at the time of the crash. They |
explained that frequently the first |
jar of an automobile accident would I
cause the instrument to revOlve /
either to high or low figure.
Lieutenant Elderkin, who directed /
the moving of the wrecked car to |
safe distance from the highway, call
ed it the worse wreck he had ever /
seen in an automobile "fixcd-object" /
crash. The car was so badly wrecked |
IL could not be tOwed by a regular |
towing car on the highway
Relatives of the dead were notified |
by Maryland State police, who were /
quickly informed over radio of the |
Delaware police. feelings name was /
learned from his operators license. |
The car was owned by Dryden.
Firemen Respond
The first report of the crash. teIe-
phOned from a nearby farm house. |
said the car was burning The Town
send and Smyrna Fire Companies |
went to the scene. However. there |
was no fire.
The five were returning home af- !
ter attending a poultry congress at
Cleveland Mrs. Fehling. mother of
the dead boy. and her daughter had
gone for the summer to a hotel in
Ocean City. Md. where she was no.
titled
Fehling, a feed salesman in Phila-
delphia, is we'll known in the POGO
moke City section and operates a
branch office at Berlin.
Operated Feed Mills
Dryden was a prominent business
man of POcOmOke City He was the
owner and operator of the Eagle
Flour and Feed Mills and was a di-
rector of the Pocomoke City Bank,
a trustee of the city high school. and
a member of several service clubs.
He graduated from Beacon College.
Two children. Raymond.
Jr.. 20 years old, and Grace. Is years
old. survive