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MIAMI, FLA., TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1941 |
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Path the fatal automobile took in carrying four men to their death early Tuesday in Coral Gables is
shown by the arrow in the above picture. The car crashed into the tree with such force that mechanics estimated it must have been
traveling at well over 70 miles per hour. |
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Coral Gables Auto Accident Claims Four Lives One of the men was Andrew A. Crawford, 50, 1723 Rhode Island ave. Washington, holder of the world's record for 135-cubic-inch hydroplanes, 54.083 miles per hour, established last year at Lakeland, and who finished fourth in the race for the Judge Emil Auerbach trophy over the week-end here. The others were Gardner P. Orme, 50, 1623 Massachusetts ave. N. W. Washington, who has been driving a boat in the President's Cup regatta at Washington for the last five years and was here aboard his cruiser the Miss Lizzie, at Pier 4, municipal yacht basin: James Burch, about 55, of 3846 Macomb st. N. W., Washington, and F. G. Ericson, 60, of 739 Alhambra circle, Coral Gables. Neither Ira Hand, head of the American Power Boat association, who is stopping at the Monterey hotel on Miami Beach nor Ted House, chairman of the Biscayne Bay Regatta committee, could be reached Tuesday, but it was understood that the committee and the A. P. B. A. have notified relatives that they will do whatever is necessary. According to S. Mortimer Auerbach who contributed the trophy bearing his father's name. Ericson took care of the famous series of Gold Cup boats owned by Horace Dodge and named Delphine. The accident occurred within a block of Ericson's house. Police investigators were at a loss to explain the accident. Crawford was believed to have been at the wheel of the fast new sedan. The car, apparently traveling at terrific speed, failed to negotitate a right turn on the thoroughfare, but lack of tire skid marks indicated the driver was unaware of danger. Crawford, according to police investigators, died instantly. The others were taken to University hospital where Orme died at 3 a. m., Ericson at 3:20 and Burch at 7:15. None of the victims regained consciousness, so police were unable to learn details of the accident. Attendants at Philbrick funeral home were able to learn little about the vistims. Orem, they reported, was an automobile dealer in Washington. Ericson was a commander in the navy, but, his wife contacted at the Alhambra circle address collapsed when informed of the crash, and was unable to give information. Crawford is survived by a widow in Santa Monica, Cal., but attendants were unable to reach her. Burch, it was learned, is survived by a widow and a daughter, who is now on her way here. Police refused to estimate the speed of the death car, but garage repair men said it probably was traveling at "at least 80 or 90 miles an hour." Police said the streets were dry, the night clear and street lighting good at the location of the crash. The wreck was said to have been the worst in Coral Gables history. Police said the speeding machine plowed into the tree with the center of its front bumper. The tree, a small oak with a trunk eight inches through, withstood the impact with only the loss of a small bit of bark. In an earlier accident Monday night, Robert Cooper, 5, negro of Belle Glade, was killed when he was struck at N. W. Seventh ave. and 85th st., by an automobile said to be driven by Vernon McGinley, 33, of 1324 N. W. 55th st. County road patrolmen who investigated the accident said the child's father had left the boy in his car with instruction to wait for him. Instead, the child tried to follow and ran into the path of McGinley's car. McGinley was said to be blameless in the accident, but was held in county jail until Peace Justice Henry L. Oppenborn could investigate. |
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