The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-12-29
Only Area Holiday
Fatality Is Train
Victim At Meherrin
Minor Highway
Crash Mounted
Christmas Eve

Only enc tragedy narred h {
Christmas week in the Farmvillf
area. Mrs. Hazel McAdams. age
So, died Sunday night at Southside
Community Hospital from injuries
sustained when she was struck by
N. and w. train near her home
in Meherrin.
Two small kids discovered Mrs.
McAdams on the tracks about 2:15
pm, according to Happy Rag
land, chief of the Crewe Emergency
Squad She was rushed to the hospi-
tai by the squad, and upon arrival
had lost considerable blood from
multiple injuries.
The CreWe chief said four trains
passed through near that time, and
a check with N. and w. officials
Monday m or n i n G revealed they
were not certain what engine had
hit her She was apparently walk
ing on the tracks when the engine
approached, according to Rag
land.
Christmas Eve Highway Report
Christmas Eve night kept area
State Police busy on the highways
and three minor accidents resulted
fr m icy streets in Farmville.
There were numerous minor
crashes in the area on the Oath.
said Dispatcher o. L. Watkins at
the State Police Headquarter in
Appomattox, Monday morning. He
said that the entire force was press
ed into service that evening to
handle the heavy holiday traffic on
slick roads.
Virginia's holiday highway death
toll stood at IS Sunday evening, but
the Farmville area was one that
experienced no fatalities reported
the Apponlattox dispatcher T h e
nationwide toll stood at 426 as the
78-hour period neared its end at
midnight last night
In. Farmville, three minor
crashes were reported Christmas
Eve night The local crashes re-
suited from sleet. and occurred on
Third street, First avenue and on
High street. No injuries were sus-
tanned, according to Police Chief
Otto S. Overton. Damage to auto
mobiles involved was estimated at
81 900.
The Farmville chief noted that
traffic on Main street was heavier
than usual Christmas Eve and
throughout the week before Deem
Der 25. His entire force was press
ed into service for the last minute
shoppers. on the oath.
Shoplifting Down Here
Chief Overton said that only five
cases of shoplifting were reported I
and three of the guilty ones had 7
been caught. Only two packages
we're stolen from automobiles and |
reported TO local police. Overton at
tributed this to the cooperation Of
the public in locking their automo-
biles, taking to heart advise given
in a warning in the newspaper when ,
the holiday season first approached. |
He said, last year set a record |
in the small number Of shoplifting
reports" but added, this year was
better"
Philip Gray, chief of the Farm
vile Fire Department, said today, |
My company got good Christ
mas present no fires" There |
were no fires reported during the
period December "a to noon today. /
Earlier in the week the home of
Hadden Loach. a house owned by !
Fred Allen, burned at 1:55 pm
Wednesday, December %. Gay said |
the fire appeared to have started |
around the flue. Located on the
back Hampden-Sydney Road, the
house was a total loss.
Gay, who operates Wrecker ser
vice. also had statement on the
numerous minor automobile crash
es Christmas Eve. In Hudson's bot
tom on Route 400 north OF Dowdy's
Corner he reported there were
seven crashes within two hours in
that spot. His newest wrecker was
wrecked when an automobile plow-
cd into him while in the process
of moving another car during the
peak period when ice covered that
portion of the road.