Evening star., 1949-04-19
Coup|eandChi|d
Die in Collision
fredericksburg
Boy, J, Only Member
OF Silver Spring
Family to Survive
picture on Page A-5.J


Three, members Of a Silver
Spring family were killed last
hight when their car and tractor
.--ailer collided in upper Mont
~omery County. A 7-year-old boy,
le only survivor, is in critical con-
ition in hospital.
The dead are Lewis E. O,Hara.
3, employe Of the Chesapeake 81
'otomac Telephone Co.. who lived
It l0116 Brunette avenue; his wife.
Catherine, 81, and their 4-year-
old daughter Sandra.
In Suburban Hospital, Bethesda,
is Edward O'Hara, the survivor.
with head injuries. compound
fractures of a leg and multiple
cuts about the body. An operation
was performed last night to re-
move piece of steel from his eye.
Returning From Outing.
The family had been on an out
ing to Frederick to visit relatives.
They were returning to Washing
ton about 8 pm. when their car
struck an Army tractor-trailer on
Route 240 a mile north of Clarks-
burg. about IL miles north Of
Rockville.
Montgomery County police were
not positive how the accident oc-
Cured. They said the tractor
trailer, operated by Pvt. Robert ].
Coleman, 18. colored. of Camp
Lee. Va, was proceeding north on
a downgrade. The O'Hara car
was going south and the crash
occurred at curve.
Police reports said the tractor
portion of the truck apparently
missed the O'Hara car, but the
trailer "jack-knifed" lengthwise
across the road and struck the
automobile. The truck halted
across the road and traffic was
blocked nearly two hours.
Members Of the Gaithersburg
Rescue Squad removed the dead
and injured from the car. The
front end was demolished and the
metal top had been mashed down.
The car, however, was upright
when the rescue squad arrived.
The rescue workers said the
bodies of Mr.. and Mrs. O'Hara
we're in the front seat and the
two children were on rear seat.
Mr.. O'Hara apparently had been
driving.
Strewn around the car we're
two Easter baskets. broken colored
eggs and Jelly beans.
Mr.. O'Hara was pronounced
dead at the scene and his body
was taken. to the Gardner funeral
home. Gaithersburg. by the
Hyattstown Rescue Squad.
The Gaithersburg Rescue Squad
administered oxygen to Mrs.
OHara and Sandra all the way
to Suburban Hospital. where both
were pronounced dead on arrival.
Sandra had a broken neck and
Mrs. O'Hara had fractured skull
and broken leg and arms.
With Phone Company 7 Years.
Mr.. O'Hara had been with the
telephone company about seven
years. c. g. P. officials said he
had an excellent record and was
employed as an installer-repair-
man in the downtown Washing
ton area.
Edward told a nurse at the hos
pital the family had been to
Frederick to visit relatives. An
uncle, John Van Acore of Fred
erick. came to the hospital last
night, and Edwards maternal
grandmother. Mrs. Beulah Price,
whose Washington address was
not known by police, went to the
O'Hara home in Silver Spring.
The bodies of Mrs. O'Hara and
Sandra were taken to the Pum-
phrey funeral home, Silver Spring.
Pvt. Coleman was not injured.
Police issued three warrants
against him, charging man
slaughter, and were holding
passenger in the large vehicle as
a material witness. He was Corpl.
Grover Smith. 26. also of Camp
lee