Evening star., 1948-02-25
10 Are Injured
III Collision Of
Bus, Stree'fcar
4th and independents,
Crash HospitoIizes 3;
Car Jumps Track


Car Jumps Troek
"A heavily loaded streetcar,
most of whose passengers were
students at the FBI fingerprint
school, crashed into a bus at
Fourth street and independence
avenue s.W. early today, iniuring
10 persons.
All the injured except the drivers
were streetcar passengers and were
said to be students at the FBI school.
The accident occurred about 1915
a m, a few minutes after the stu
dents had left the FBI fingerprint
at Second and d streets
S.W.
Most seriously injured were. the
drivers. They and one passenger re-
manned in hospitals today. The
others were treated and released.
Police preferred no charges, but
reported the streetear operator failed
to observe a red light as the traffic
signal was changing and did not
yield the right of way. An informal
hearing will be held in the corpora
ton counsel's s. .ofaee when the opera
tors have recovered.
Crash Was Violent.
The crash was so violent that the
bus, believed to be carrying only two
passengers, was completely turned
around, and the streetcar jumped
the tracks. The bus was north
bound on Fourth street and the car
westbound on Independence avenue.
Witnesses said the bus driver, FL
lison r. Cochran, 43, of 1924 Burke
street Sc, was knocked into the
street through the door. He suf-
fered scalp, chest and facial injuries
and possible skull fracture, and is
in Emergency Hospital.
Also admitted to Emergency was
the streetear operator, John T..
Golden, "a, of 4406 Fourteenth street
NV, who had possible internal in
juries.
The third person hospitalized was
Robert w. Tilton., 20, of 1901 Six
teenth street NV, who is in Cas-
ualty Hospital with possible internal
injuries. His condition was re-
ported as good.
Injured Listed.
Others treated and released were:
Miss Willodean Myers, 20, of 324
A street NE, facial injuries.
Anna G. Olson, 81, of 1911 Gala
tin street NV, abdominal injuries.
Rayburn Dean, 1s, of 1869 Mon
roe street NV, wrist injury.
Hilda Grant, ~. of 1401 Fairmont
street NV, rib injury.
Egart La Mare. 10, Of 1912 Six
teenth street NV, minor cuts and
tArlsnd Crotts, 20, of lat Downing
street NE. injury to right foot.
frankie r. Gresham, 20, of 1908
Forty third avenue, Hyattsville, who
reported stomach injury but re-
fused hospital treatment.
The streetcar, marked Georgia
and Alaska, jumped a 4-inch curb
separating the tracks from the rest
of the street, and rolled on about
so feet.
Front Badly Smashed.
The front of the streetcar was
badly smashed, but the principal
damage was to the bus, whose
destination was Seventh and Penn
sylvania avenue. The side of the bus
near the front was caved in. Front
seats were ripped out and part of
the top demolished. Police estimated
damage to both vehicles at $1,000.
Streetcar traffic along the line was
tied up for an hour and 20 minutes
and six motorcycle patrolmen were
called to detour other traffic. The
scene was one of confusion as sey-
eral ambulances raced up, followed
by fire engines called because of
spilled gasoline. Smoking was
banned in the area.
The Capital Transit Co. said about
80 passengers were on the stream
lined streetcar. Some of the passen-
gers said the car was packed tight
with standees, a fact that might have
prevented some passengers from
being thrown down in the impact.
Saw Bus Careen.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert F. Groshon,
1908 Forty-third avenue, Hyattsville,
FBI clerks, said they were in a
back seat of the streetcar.
After the crash, I saw the bus
careen bit, she said. THE street.
car felt like it was going to turn
over. I saw a boy in front of me
fall down and jumped up to help
him. He was holding his stomach
and appeared to be hurt"
Mixed with the debris and broken
glass were samples of fingerprints
on little pieces of paper, the work of
some of the FBI students.