The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-12-04
FATHER LOSES BOTH SONS AS
TRAFFIC COLLISION TAKES
LIVES OF FOUR ON DARE ROAD
Terrific Speed Of Sou+hbound Car Near S+umpy
Point, Kills Three From Rocky Mount and It's
Driver. a Dare County Man Dies Shortly A.
+erward. Coun+ys Worst Auto Fatality Fol-
lows Hunting Trip.

Unexpectedly called from his
beach home at Mays Head late
Saturday evening, Thomas E. Tay-
lor of Rocky Mount had the sad
duty of identifying his two sons
dead In a Manteo Funeral Home.
Thos. Bruce Taylor Is, and George
C. Oscar Taylor 81 had failed to
return from hunting trip in
Hyde County, both victims of a
head on collision with 1867
Thunderbird Ford driven at "ter-
rifle speed" by Calbert Lockwood
Gray, II, a Dare County native.
Gray died shortly afterward,
and never knew the result of his
crave for speed which ended so
tragically two miles north of
Stumpy Point.
With the Taylor boys, the fani-
ly chauffeur Ebert Lewis, 40,
colored, was also killed. They all
apparently died Instantly when the
1868 Plymouth, driven by Oscar
Taylor was tossed from the road
to the swamp, its motor and gas
tank both being scattered some
distance from the car.
Gray's car, then continued about
10 feet southwark in a wide arc,
and came to stop squarely across
the road. His younger brother,
Jimmy Gray, 10, who was driving
his fathers late model Oldsmobile,
picked him up and brought him to
DR.. w. w. Harvey Jr., in Manteo.
DR.. Harvey dispatched him to the
Elizabeth City hospital in a Twi-
ford ambulance driven by Walter
Harris, but the injured man was
pronounced dead on arrival. He is
said to have never regained con-
seriousness.
Both cars and men were as COM
pletely battered as are usually
seen following automobile coli
lisions. The 1857 Thunderbird
driven by Gray, carrying Va.
license tag No. 161-800 was
brought to Manteo shortly after
ward by Hassell & Creef's truck.
The Plymouth caught fire due to
friction on the road, and while be-
ing lowed by a Sawyer truck. The
Manteo Fire Department went out
on call, but the fire was out. Both
cars were already total losses.
Among the first to arrive on the
scene were Mr.. and Mrs. Glenn
Twiford and Mr.. and Mrs. Roger
Best of Stumpy Point. Soon after,
Leigh Hassell Jr., J. D. Simpson
and young Clyde Hassell, all Man.
teo young men who were also re-
turning from a goose hunt in Hyde
County. They helped get Gray in
his brothers car.
Two ambulances from Twiford's
Funeral Home went to the scene
following notice from an unknown
informant who phoned Manteo
Police Chief M. C. Mitchell, but
who refused to give his name.
The two young Taylor brothers
and the Negro were both found
dead, their Limbs and skulls badly
crushed. Their guns were only
twisted barrels, with broke n
stocks.
The identity of the three Rocky
Mount men was unknown until
after some hours of investigation
by Patrolman Arthur Fields of
Manteo, information finally led to
the home of Mr.. Taylor of Mays
Head, who was there alone await
ing their return. Mrs. Taylor, the
mother, remained in Rocky Mount,
and did not come on the trip. 1t
had been an annual custom of Mr..
Taylor to bring his sons to Dare
County for hunting on Thanks
giving. They had hunted Friday
with poor luck.
But early Saturday morning, on
preparing to leave, they had come
into his room, Mr.. Taylor said, and
told him eve are going to
See TRAGEDY, Page Six