The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-03
CHAPTER x

All automobile accidents look | alike, Hugh Connolly thought, as he left his car, pushed his way through the crowd of morbidiy curious who jammed the scene. Trafic blocked for half 8 mile; fiashlight-waving patrol officers, trying to keep cars moving. Peo- ple Jumping from their cars, run ming up for @ close view. A white faced woman hurrying back to her own sedan. Headlights concen- trated on a single, small area. Automobiles twisted into weird, unreal shapes.
 He saw the officer who had sum- moned him. Hello, Harry. This i looks like bad one"
 The patrolman took his arm. | 'sIt is bad, Doc. This fellow over { here," he motioned with his fash light. "Think he's gone. You'd better take a look, though" The light focused on still form on the pavement. Dr. Comedy adjusted his stethoscope, knelt beside the still figure. .,
 "Probably never knew what hit him." Hugh said. "How about the others?"
 "There's another fellow in bad way beside the car in the, ditch. He was still breathing when l left him."
 The fiashlight beam licked over the outlines of a long, expensive coupe, The car seemed strangely familiar. Hugh dismissed the thought as he slipped down the bank, hurried to the injured man, The patrolman's light shone full on a white, blood-smeared face.
 "This is my boy" Dr. Connolly said in 8 tight, strained voice. 'sThis is my son, Jerry"
 Valerie saw the doctor at that same instant, rushed toward him, screaming: "It was all his fault! He's wrecked my car-my new car! I'll be scared for life! He made me drive over here! I didn't want to-! Now, he's wrecked my carl"
 Valerie, please" Hugh said quietly. You're a bit hysterical. Try to calm down, girl"
 'That's right!" her voice shrill- ed. 'Look after your own boy. Let me die. I could bleed to death, for all you care"
 .'Valerie, stop that screaming. |" Hugla Connelly's voice snapped . the command. Harry, let's have a light" His glance swept over the girl. "You have scalp wound, but it's stopped bleeding already" The wall of a siren came from the high , way. 'I'll send you to the hospital , for thorough check. Harry, take her up to the ambulance; send a stretcher here"
 He did not see them go, did did not hear Valerie's screamed accusations. He was on his knees in the snow, beside Jerry, listen ing for heart beat.
 "Jerryl Jerry!" he whispered. My boyl"
 They brought the stretcher, lift ed Jerry carefully on to it, climbed back to the roadway.
 "Is he hurt bad, Doc?" the pa- trolman asked.
 "Concussion, possible skull frac- ture. Can't say for sure. His arm is broken, may have internal in- juries. Pulse strong. That's a good sign." He waited as white clad interne slid the stretcher into place. Valerie was moaning, more quietly now, in 8 seat near the front.
 "I'n go on now, Harry" the doctor said. Nothing I can do for that other fellow" He started into the ambulance. 'Have someone drive my car in"
 'But, Doc, there's a man and a woman pretty bad cut up in the farmhouse across the road"
 Hugh turned to the interne. Administer adrenalin if neceS- cary. Get Johnson. Tell him to operate. whether get there .or not. He's in charge"
 He did not look back as the ambulance carried Jerry away from him.
 Later in the farmhouse, as he swabbed glass from cuts, he heard the story of the accident. This man and woman were not seriously hurt.
 we were coming down the road behind this big, green coupe," the man told him. "The boy wasn't driving fast and he was on his own side of the road.
 "Then this other fellow = the one that got killed-came toward us, fast. weaving from side to side. He must have been doing 80 or 90. The boy in the coupe swung on the pavement, but this fellow hit his left front fender.
 '.,Thatss about all I remember. Next thing I knew this car was rolling over and over toward us and we crashed into it, or it crashed into us, before we could stop. The coupe went of into the ditch,