Evening star., 1955-01-10
Officials Plead
ForCaution as
Crashes Kill IS
Heavy Toll in Virginia
And Maryland Bring
Urgent Appeals

-57l u -
Urgent Appeals
One of the most tragic week
ends in the motoring history Of
the District, Virginia and Mary-
land left q trail of IS dead today
and brought pleas Of officials to
end the carnage.
Since 6 pm. Friday Is persons
were killed in Virginia. II il
Maryland and Q IN the District.
Before Friday Virginia had
counted only four dead for the
new year and Maryland listed
eight.
In the first nine days of Jann-
airy the Maryland death count
has reached 81. In January,
1854. the traffic toll was 54.
Appeal Sent by Wire.
Miss Marie Gardiner, chair
man Of the Maryland Highway
Safety Committee. sent tele-
grams to members of the General
Assembly.
II irnplore you to use your
important position Of trust in
the legislature to help the Mary
land Traffic Safety Commission
curtail this carnage" she said.
She noted that in the last IL
days there have been 80 traffic
deaths in Maryland and said
1000 State citizens would die
II the rate was maintained
throughout 1856
The Maryland and Virginia
superintendents OF state police
called for cooperation from
drivers to curb the menace.
More Police Needed.
Maryland Supt. Edward +.
Munshower said his force Of 3Sl
was inadequate to cope with the
problem. His department has re-
quested an extra rs men. but ac-
tuaily needs a force Of 535, he
said.
Col. Munshower called the
mounting toll a terrible indict-
ment of the American driver"
who seems to speed on despite
all signs, radar warnings, safety
lines and other devices meant TO
help keep him alive.
In Virginia. Col. C. w. Wood
son, noting his force was up TO
its authorized strength Of $50
for the first time since 1910, said
the troopers would continue an
unrelenting fight against high
way tragedy. For flve days Of
the new year. Virginia highways
had been unmarked by fatal
accident.
The Virginia total was In
creased by eight In one terrific
head-one collision two miles
south Of Fincastle Friday night.
Car Hits Crane.
One of the Maryland casualties
last night was Mrs. Lottie Black,
48, colored, of 403 g street NE.
She was killed when the car
driven by her husband, Lonnie ].
Black, sideswiped a wrecking
crane Just north of Washington
on the Baltimore Parkway.
Park Police said the accident
occurred q mile north of. the
East West highway, a road rum
ming through the Agriculture
Department experimental farm
at Beltsville. Mrs. Black was
thrown from the car after it hit
the crane, which was pulling q
disabled car onto the highway.
A passenger In the Black car.
Elmore McMikens, 48, celored,
of 622 Fifth street NE, was In
jured and was admitted to Dis
trict General Hospital. The
crane was operated by Leonard
8. Williams. "a. Of Beltsville.
police said.
Five teen-agers were wiped out
IN one Of the most tragic Of the
Maryland accidents. The young
est to die was IA: the oldest 10.
The accident occurred Satur.
day night In Baltimore County.
half a mile north of Fork. The
car left the road and sheared
of utility pole. The top Of
the auto was completely shorn
of by the impact.
Frank C. Shipley, l8, of Fuller
ton, Baltimore County, was the
only survivor.
A 3-month-old girl was killed
instantly In a two-car collision
on Route 230, 8 miles east Of
Madison, Va.
State Trooper Edward Eddins
said the young victim was Donna
Lee Mcdaniel. daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Ernest E. Mcdaniel Of
Madison. Her father was driving
one Of the cars.
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