Evening star., 1952-01-01
Marine Officer
Killed in Crash
Near Durnfries
Virginia Traffic Toll
Is l3 For Holidays;
5 Dead in Maryland

"A Quantico Marine officer was
killed early today when the car
in which he was riding skidded
across United States Route l q
mile north of Dumfries, Va, hit q
bridge abutment and overturned
into a stream. State police re-
ported.
Police identified the dead mar
as 1st Lit. Harold Gustave Schmidt
jr., q, of the basic school at Guam.
tico Marine. Base. They said he
was killed instantly.
The driver of the car, Marine
Sergt. John j. Lynch, 80, of Guam
tico, and another passenger, Miss
Alice L. Locke of New York, tenn
porarily residing at Woodbridge,
Va, were injured slightly. Both
were taken to the hospital at the
Marine base.
Virginia Toll at 998.
The accident occurred about 5
am.
An unofficial count, meanwhile,
showed that Virginia's traffic acci-
dent death toll for 1851 totaled
a record 998. State police said,
however, that delayed reports may
boost the total past 1000.
So far over the long holiday
week end, since pm. Friday,
Virginia has had 13 traffic deaths.
Maryland has recorded five traf-
f1c deaths over the holiday period
bringing its total for 1851 to an
unofficial $40.
ID. C. Has No Fatalities.
The District emerged from the
dangerous night without a traffic
fatality and almost set a 10-yeal
record. Sixty EIGHT traffic deaths
were recorded here in 1851, az
compared with 72 in 1850. The
low for the past 10 years-67-was
recorded in 1948.
In other Washington area acci-
dents, Miss Louise Hoffer, As, o1
2515 Thirteenth street NV, was
critically injured in a two-cal
collision on U. S. Route at Wood
bridge, Va, yesterday afternoon
The other person in the car, the
Rev. DR.. James H. Miers, 66, o1
2715 Thirteenth street NV, pas.
tor of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church, was seriously injured
Miss Hoffer is DR.. Miers' secretary
Both were taken to Alexandra
Hospital.
State police said they have been
unable to determine whether the
woman or the minister was driv-
ing the car when 1t collided with
an automobile full of six sailor.
from the U. S. S. Tutulia at Nor
folk.
Taken to Quantico.
Three of the Navy men suffered
less serious injuries and were
taken to the Marine Base Hospi-
tai at Quantico.
Two men were in Suburban
Hospital, Bethesda, today with Sc.
|rious injuries suffered in two sep.
Earate accidents in Upper Mont.
|gomery County yesterday.
One, Frank Rocca, 80, of 441s
Albemarle street NV, suffered
head injuries when he was thrown
from his truck after a collisor
with a car in the Rockcrest sub.
division of Rockville. The driver
of the car, Elzie B. Burlington, 20
of 1921 Aleutian avenue, Rock.
vile, and his 2-year-old son
James, were not seriously injured
according to police who are in
veStigating to determine whether
charges will be filed against one
or both of the drivers.
George L. Gregg, %, a tree
surgeon, of Gaithersburg, Md.
fractured his pelvis when the
motorcycle he was riding collidec
with a panel truck in Rockville
Driver Of the truck, who was not
injured, was identified as Edwin
C. Bennett, "a, of Sykesville, Md
Broken Arm and Leg.
Granville H. Rawling. At, OF
Philadelphia. the driver Of a trac-
tor-trailer. was injured when his
vehicle plunged down a 1O0-foot
embankment off Shirley highway
about 3 pm. yesterday, police
reported.
The driver was freed by passing
motorists after he was pinned
under a front wheel of the trac-
tor-trailer. He was taken to Alex
andria Hospital by the Bailey's
Crossroads Rescue Squad with O
broken arm and leg.
The truck apparently went out
of control on the highway at the
Fort Belvoir overpass, crossed the
grass median strip and rolled
down the incline. The vehicle was
a total loss.
Car Plows Into Group.
Eight persons were injured
shortly after midnight when an
Army corporal lost control of his
car at Ninth street and New York
avenue NV. and plowed into a
group waiting at a bus stop.
The car, driven by Corpl. Thom-
as E. Davis. %. of 356 Raleigh
street Sc. continued across the
sidewalk and damaged the fronts
of two shops at 905 and GOT New
York avenue NV. police said.
Corpl. Davis was cut on the
head. Miss Evelyn Newly, II, OF
1121 Pennsylvania avenue Sc,
and John McDermitt, II, of 2405
Rhode Island avenue NE, who
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