The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-11
INQUEST TO BE
HELD TONIGHT 7
Probe In Death OF Sailor
In War Hero In Crash
Set By Coroner

An inquest will be held to-
night in the death q a sailor
attached to the PC-776 here and
q local World War II hero who
were instantly killed early yes
terday morning in an oil tank
er-automobile collision, Act
ing Coroner DR.. Fred H. Cole
man said last night.
The dead were Hugh c..
Reece, son of Fireman J. E.
Reece, and Lewis Goldy, 253
Madison avenue, Bridgeport.
Floyd Council, 23-year-old
driver of the car in which they
were riding, was treated at
James Walker Memorial hospi-
tai for lacertions of the scalp,
decorations of the upper lip and
loss of two teeth, was later
placed in Jail on charges of op-
Grating an automobile while un-
der the influence and careless
and reckless driving resulting
in death. He was released on
payment of a $1,000 cash bond
in Recorders court later yes
terday.
Miss Alma Cause, 23-year-old
passenger in the Council car,
who was treated for abrasions
of the right knee, right hip and
chest, was held under $3.50 bond
on the technical charge of va
grancy as a material witness tc
the accident.
Daniel J. Gurganus, Route l.
Wilmington, driver of the
heavy, 1947 model oil tanker,
was uninjured in the crash.
Gurganus reported to investi-
eating officers that he was driv-
ing northeast down Cowan
str et and came to a stop at
Fourth street prior to turning
north into Fourth. He said that
he saw Councils 1910 sedan ap-
preaching on zig-zag course
south on Fourth.
The driver of the tanker said
that Councils car came to a
complete stop some distance
from the corner at which hi S
truck was stopped and that he
then attempted to turn the truck
into Fourth, but that the other
car started again suddenly, ap-
parently in second gear and at
a high rate of speed. The car
swerved to the left, back to the
right and to the left again be-
fore hitting the trailer's left
front bumper, he said.
According to the police report
Gurganus told them that he
thought that Council was at.
tempting to pass his truck ir
the rear and consequently tried
to pull the trailer around ano
out of the way Of the car.
After the collision, he told po
lice, he found a young man anc
young woman slumped over ir
the front seat of the automobile
and two other young men lying
on the pavement outside. T h {
rear wheels of the heavy trailer
apparently had passed over
them, he said.
Both men, Zoldy with injuries
to the stomach and chest ano
Reece with head injuries, were
killed instantly and were re.
moved to Andrews mortuary
from the scene of the wreck.
DR.. Fred H. Coleman, acting
coroner, said that an inquest in
to the deaths of the two men
will be held tonight at 7::30 pm
In their report of the acci-
dent, police officers said that
Council told them that he had
had two drinks of whisky at
around $3.50 pm. and had
drunk several bottles Of beer la
ter in the evening. He was
quoted as saying he picked up
Miss Cause and an unidentified
man who later got out of the
car at a local drive-in and later
picked up Reece nd Zoldy in
the 200 block of Grace street.
Councils occupation was list
ed by the police as sailor"
Surviving Reece are his moth
er and father; one brother,
James E. Reece, Jr., Los An
geles, Calf; and one sister,
n