Evening star., 1944-07-24

l9 Go to HospitoIs
In Greyhound ond
Transit Co. Collision
District traffic officials today
are investigating circumstances
surrounding yesterdays collision
between Greyhound and Capita
Transit Co. buses at Bladensbure
pad and South Dakota avenue
NE, in which ~ persons were
injured.
Nineteen victims of the crash
which attracted hundreds of spec
tatorx and brought Maryland and
District police patrol wagons, scout
cars, fire rescue and hospital ambu-
lances to the scene, remained In
Casualty and Emergency Hospitals
today. Some were seriously in
jured. The accident occurred yes
terday afternoon, when the heavily
loaded Greyhound local from Bal
timore crashed into the Capital
Transit bus as it turned left from
Bladensburg road into South Da-
kota avenue, the end of the line.
No Light at Intersection.
There are no traffic lights or other
controls at the intersection, al
though residents of the neighbor-
hood described it as one of the most
dangerous corners on the thorough
fare, the main artery connecting
Washington and Baltimore.
However, both Traffic Director
William A. Van Duzer and Inspec-
tor Arthur Miller, police traffic ex-
pert, who visited the scene today
said they did not believe a contro
light would have prevented the
crash. Both drivers, Inspector Mil
Ter pointed out, had clear view oi
the road for more than 1000 feet.
Mr.. Van Duzer asserted that thu
trafic count at that point did no.
meet Once of Defense Transports
ton requirements for light Ever
If there had been a trafice light ir
operation. Mr.. Van Duzer stated
both vehicles. travelling in the same
direction, would have been running
on a green light. There are con.
troll lights at Bladensburg road anc
Thirtieth street NE, approximately
one block south of the accident
scene.
Flung Out Of Seats.
The passengers, who filled the
emergency room for more than an
hour at Casualty, suffered facial in
lur1es for the most part as they
were ierked out of their seats and
hung against the seats in front of
them. Police said ~ persons were
on the Greyhound bus and about Is
passengers on the other bus.
The driver of the 1882 model
Greyhound bus, Charles Grosholz
rs, of Baltimore. gave this descrip-
tion of the collision:
L was just taking my time-going
between 20 and Is miles an hour
when I saw the other bus. 1t hap
pened so quick I couldn't do much.
He made a left hand turn directly
IN front of me. l couldn't stop A
man near the front hollered and I
cut the wheel as hard as 1 could
If hadn't swung. Id have gotten
that bus right in the middle"
George H. Ticknor, %, 1909 Orren
street NE. operator of the Capital
Transit bus with four years driving
experience. told police he was max
ing the turn at about eight miles
an hour when he saw the Grey
hound bus about 100 yards away.
Both Go Over Curb.
The collision, police said, virtual
ly lifted the Capital Transit bus off
the ground, swinging 1t around. The
buses wound up sandwiched against
each other, pointed in opposite di-
rections. After the impact. both
buses went over the southwest curb
OF the intersection, knocking down
a flrebox, a street light pole and a
traffic speed sign and knocking
away part of the curbing.
Mr.. GrosholZ, who has been with
Greyhound a year but told police
he had seven years driving expert
ence, said he would have dragged
my feet If l could" to have prevented
the crash.
The first thing he did after the
collision was turn off the ignition
he said. He had split his forehead
against the windshield. The force
of the collision bent his belt buckle
as he was thrown against the steer
ing wheel and his knee bore deep
cash.
Opened Emergency Door.
When I turned around" he said.
zone girl was lying in the doorway
I got the emergency door open and
got out those who could walk.
wouldn't let the seriously injured
get out until the ambulances ar
rived.
"One woman was afraid the bus
would catch fire. 1 kept telling her
I'd turned of the ignition. l tried
to make her lie down in the aisle
but she wouldn't. l kept hollering
out the window for somebody to
call an ambulance. but it must have
been 20 minutes before one arrived. -
He said he gave first aid and
helped an elderly woman pick up
the money which had scattered
from her pocketbook by the impact
Eyewitness Story.
S. w. Rothman, an electrical
worker of 1912 Haywood drive
Mount Rainier, Md, said he had
Just driven by the Capital Transit
bus on the right hand side when he
heard the impact of the collision
He said it sounded as though an
ammunition truck had blown up.
Mr.. Rothman said he was behind
the bus from New York avenue un-
til 1t made its left turn into South
Dakota avenue Following him came
another Greyhound filled with SOL
diers.
"As we neared South Dakota ave-
nue. the Capital Transit driver stuck
his hand out the window and Sig
nailed that he wanted to pull over
into the center lane to make q
turn Mr.. Rothman said, II honked