Evening star., 1950-12-23
Icy Roads Bring
Record Crashes;
One Man Killed
More Than 20 Hurt;
266 Cars Damaged
In Worst Night Here

Traffic Smash-ups set a new
record in Washington last night
as hundreds Of automobiles
skidded on a treacherous glaze
of ice.
One man was killed. more than
a score of persons were injured
and at least 266 automobiles were
damaged in what veteran Traffic
Division policemen described as
the worst night in their memory.
Ice-covered highways outside
city claimed additional hundreds
of smashed cars and police said
accidents were happening so fast
they could not make reports en-
all of them.
Sunshine Melting Ice.
Warm sunshine today was melt
ing the ice and the Weather Bu-
reau promised that tomorrow and
Christmas Day would be clear
and mild. The temperature will
go into the upper 40s today and
climb above so tomorrow, the
forecaster said.
The temperature dropped below
freezing after yesterdays snow
storm and turned the melting
slush into ice. A low of 26 de-
grees was reported early this
morning.
George Alan Macrae, 67, of 230
Rhode Island avenue NE, a real
estate man, was killed when he
was struck by an automobile at
Twenty second street and Rhode
Island avenue NE. His death was
the 10th traffic fatality of the
year as compared with 66 at this
time last year.
Was on Way Home.
Mr.. Macrae had just closed his
real estate Office at 2125 Rhode
Island avenue NE. and was en-
route home when he was struck
by an automobile driven by Guy
E. Hoke. AZ, of 4314 Newton street.
Brentwood, Md, police reported.
He was pronounced dead at the
scene by a Health Department
ambulance physician.
Police said calls of traffic acci-
dents were coming into police
headquarters so fast after the
slush began freezing yesterday
that only the most serious could
be investigated. Motorists who
reported their cars damaged but
no one injured were told they
would have to wait if they wanted
formal report made.
The 266 accidents recorded be-
tween noon yesterday and 8 am.
today, therefore. represented only
a portion of the total number of
accidents, Traffic Division officers
pointed out.
420 Calls Received.
The American Automobile Asso-
ciation reported it received 420
calls for assistance from motorists
whose cars had been damaged or
skidded from the road.
Police in nearby Maryland and
Virginia counties reported distress
calls were coming in so fast during
the night they could investigate
only the most serious. Station
clerks were so busy they could not
keep a record of the number of
calls.
Two policemen were among
those injured in traffic accidents
during the night. Pvt. Joseph P.
Basaman, 26, of the 10th pre-
cinct was knocked down while
directing traffic at Sixteenth and
Harvard streets NV. He was
treated at Garfield Hospital for
severe bruises. George T. SAINT
myers. jr., 33, of SIS Decatur street
NV, driver of the car that struck
the officer, was charged with driv-
ing while drunk.
Guard Struck by Car.
Pvt. Milton Worrell, "a, of 1922
Irving street Sc, a Pentagon
guard, was knocked down by a car
while directing traffic in the Penta-
gon grounds. He was treated at
Providence Hospital for leg cuts
and head injuries.
Mrs. Betty Fry, 81, of 314 Bri-
land street, Alexandria, suffered
possible fracture of her left leg
when her car skidded and went
(See ACCIDENTS, Page A-2)