Evening star., 1949-08-10
15Die in Flames
AS Bus Strikes
Indiana Bridge
II Others Injured;
Survivor Kicks Out
Window, Saves Many
Picture on Page A-3J
BY the Assoeioted Press

| cT hIe NSSOSioicO TfESS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind, Aug.
10.-Fifteen persons died in the
flaming wreckage Of Greyhound
bus that burned after smashing
into a bridge abutment near here
early today.
The bus, bound from Indian
apolis to Bloomington. hit the
bridge on a winding. hilly road
shortly after midnight. Seconds
later it was in flames.
Coroner Robert W. Lyons of
Monroe County said the task Of
identifying the dead would be 6if-
f1cult as all bodies we're almost
consumed by the flames.
One of the dead was identified
as Charles Ellerbrook, 70, of Evans
vile, and another was believed to
be his 67-year-old wife.
Their son, Billy Ellerbrook, "a.
who survived the crash, said his
parents were on the bus and were
trapped.
Eight Victims Women.
The bodies were not recovered
until long after daylight.
After an examination of the
bodies. the coroner said eight of
the victims were women, four were
men and two were children. The
sex of the 18th victim could not
be determined Immediately. Twelve
injured were taken to a Bloom
ington hospital.
The coroner identified one Of
the women through a billfold
found on her lap as Mrs. Dale
Aikman of La Porte, Ind. Her
husband, a soldier stationed at
Camp Campbell, KY. was burned
severely.
The coroner said the bodies Of
the two children were found in
the seat with Mrs. Aikman and
presumably were her daughter
and son. 7 and 4 years old. Mr..
Aikman had told hospital at
tendants his wife and two chill
dren we're aboard the bus.
Bodies Taken to Armory.
The bodies removed from the
bus were placed in six ambu-
lances and a hearse and, accom-
panied by a police escort, were
brought to the Indiana National
Guard Armory here to await
Identification. s.s.
Driver Wayne Cranmer of In
dianapolis, one of the survivors,
said a front tire may have blown
out, causing him to lose control
of the bus. After striking the
abutment, it skidded $50 feet
down winding Highway 81 and
came to rest on its left side, block
ing the emergency door.
Flames Envelope Bus.
Flames ehveloped the vehicle
almost Immediately. The driver
said he and two or three" pas
sengers got out the front door.
The other survivors escaped
through a rear window which q
passenger kicked out.
Glen Van Horn, manager Of
Radio Station WITS in Bloom
ington, said one of the survivors
told him he walked through 5
feet of flames" to get off the bus.
Survivor Tells of Crash.
The survivor, Wells Richard
son, 18, of Evansville. told Mr..
Van Horne he was doing when
the bus struck the bridge abut-
ment.
MIR. Van Horn said Edgar Davis
of Indianapolis. a Negro was
credited by other survivors with
kicking out the rear window.
through which most of the survi-
vors escaped.
Survivors set the time of the
accident at 12:40 am.
Everett Miles, a Monroe County
farmer living only 100 yards from
the scene of the crash gave this
account:
"The impact awakened my wife
and I, and by the time we got to
the window the bus was burning
and there was also something
burning on the bridge. My first
idea was that two cars had met
on the bridge.
People we're screaming-I never
heard such a sound and I never
want to again. ....
II saw some one trying to get
(See BUS CRASH, Page A-3)