Evening star., 1949-12-12
5inDistrictArea
Killed in Traffic
On Week End
Crashes Hurt Several ;
Poor Visibility ond
Slick Rouds Blamed

Slippery roads and poor visi-
bility were blamed today by police
OF the Washington area as a major
factor In weekend traffic acci-
dents that took at least five lives
and resulted in injuries to num-
Der Of other persons:
Those fatally injured were:
william Robert Cox. about SIS. OF
Route 4. Floyd. Va. who was in
volved In an automobile collision
at the intersection of Route /
and Route 687 at Stafford. Va.
Corpl. John d. Healy. IS. Fort
Belvoir soldier from Wapato,
Wash. who was struck by Grey
hound bus on Route | while cross
ine the highway at Ingleside. Va.
Sergt. Charles Ravida. 30. also
OF Fort Belvoir, who was injured
fatally when an automobile crashed
into the rear OF tractor-trailer
at the intersection of Route and
Glebe road. Arlington. Both Sergt.
Ravida and Corpl Healy were
members Of Company D, lst
School Battalion.
Mrs. Pearl B. Curran. Elkton.
Va. who was in an automobile
demolished by tractor-trailer
two miles east of Gainesville Sat-
urday night.
Child Killed in Crash.
Phyllis Walker, 3. colored. the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Nathan
lei Walker, Fairmount Heights.
Md, who died in Leland Memorial
Hospital OF injuries suffered Sat-
urday in a crash at the Peace
Cross in Bladensburg.
OF the injured. at least two were
in critical condition.
One. at Prince Georges General
Hospital, Cheverly. is George B.
billiard, 26, of 66l2 Forty-seventh
avenue, Riverdale, who suffered
head injuries which doctors fear
may include a skull fracture.
The other is Roy Ellison Morris,
18, of Elkton. Va. who was driving
the automobile in which Mrs.
Curran died near Gainesville.
Virginia State police reported
that Mr.. Morris was driving his
sisters car, which bore District
tags as she formerly lived in the
1000 block of B street NE. The
car skidded on the slick two-lane
highway between Stone House
and Gainesville and was smashed
by an approaching tractor trailer
driven by Edward r. Eubank, %,
of Madison Heights. Va. The
tractor went out of control. climb
ing a cliff to its left. and parted
from the trailer. which fell across
the highway. Route 211. Traffic
was jammed for more than two
hours. H. = -. - - 4
Details Lacking.
The body Of Mrs. CurTan, who
was in the wrecked car, was taken
to Manassas funeral home.
Mr.. Morris was taken to Physi-
clans Hospital, Warrenton. He
was still unconscious today.
Virginia police said they did
not have full details on the ac-
cidents in which Mr.. Cox and
Corpl. Healy were killed. They
said, However. that the soldier
was struck by a bus driven by
Eddie H. Davis, jr., 38, OF, Sabot,
Va.
Two companions of Sergt.
Ravida were hurt In the Arlington
crash. They are Sergts. William
Robert Spence. 26. and Harold j.
Wilson, 81. also Of Co. D., 1st
School Battalion. They were ad-
mitted to Walter Reed Hospital
and treated for cuts.
Police said the coupe driven by
Sergt. Spence crashed into the
truck which had stopped for a
traffic light. Investigators quoted
Sergt. Spence as saying he did not
see the large vehicle. He was
charged with manslaughter and
released under $500 bond pending
a hearing in Arlington County
Court at $50 am. December %.
The driver of the truck, who
was not charged, was listed by
police as Thomas jefferson Den
nison, %. of Lutz, Fla.
10 Persons in Car.
The Walker child died at Le-
land Memorial Hospital yesterday.
She was one of 10 colored' per-
sons injured when the car in
which all were riding crashed into
an abutment at the Peace Cross.
In Montgomery County an auto
mobile skidded and overturned
about 1:35 am. today, injuring
Edgar H. Banham, 20. of 1872 N
street NV. This accident occurred
on the Rockville pike at Grosvenor
lane. Mr.. Banham was treated at
Suburban Hospital for knee cuts
and his wife was treated for minor
injuries to an ankle.
While police were investigating
the accident an approaching auto
mobile skidded and struck another
car when its driver applied brakes.
The police said the car which spun
around was driven by Rostillaw
Dom, 80, of IT'S Massachusetts,
avenue NV. It struck a car oper-
ated by Henry Arthur Dillon, they
said.
Montgomery County police said
Annette Carver. Is. of 2609 Spen-
Ger road. Silver Spring, walked
into a tractor trailer on East
West highway at Grubb road.
about am. today. She was hurt
slightly. The truck was driven
by Walter M. Rupert, Balti-
more.
Heavy property damage. to auto
mobiles resulted in other collisions
occurring in Montgomery County
late Saturday and yesterday. The