1929 — Jan 22, train hits Greyhound bus at crossing, snowstorm, near Bellevue, OH —  20

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-12-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  20  Interstate Commerce Commission, File No. 1481, “Report…Lake Shore.”  April 23, 1929.

—>17  Decatur Daily Review, IL.  “Fear 17 Dead in Bus Crash.” 1-22-1929, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Interstate Commerce Commission: “On January 22, 1929, there was an accident involving a passenger train of the Lake Shore Electric Railway and a motor bus of the Greyhound Lines at a grade crossing near Bellevue, Ohio, which resulted in the death of 20 passengers of the motor bus, and the injury of 9 passengers and 1 employee of the motor bus and 2 passengers and 2 employees of the passenger train. This investigation was made in conjunction with representatives of the Ohio Commission of Public Utilities….

“The point of accident is about 2 miles east of Bellevue, Ohio, where a public highway known as route U.S. 20 crosses the tracks…. On account of the angle at which the highway crosses the track it is necessary for the driver of an eastbound bus to look ahead and to the right in order to see an approaching westbound train….

“There is a railroad warning sign on the highway approaching this crossing from the west, and a railroad crossing sign when close to the track of the electric railway; this railway does not maintain any warning bell or flashlights at the crossing.

“It was snowing at the time of the accident, which occurred at about 1.10 p.m.

“Westbound passenger train No. 213 consisted of motor 164, of steel-underframe construction, and was in charge of Conductor Trueman and Motorman Schuyler, This train departed from Monroeville, 7.47 miles east of Bellevue, at l p.m., five minutes late, and was derailed by striking the bus on the crossing near Bellevue while traveling at a speed estimated to have been between 25 and 40 miles per hour.

“The Greyhound motor bus, No. 343, eastbound, had a seating capacity for 31 passengers and had one door in the front end on the right side opposite the driver’s seat. This bus, in charge of Driver Edward Butler, departed from Detroit, Mich., at 8.30 a.m., and was crossing the tracks of the Lake Shore Electric Railway at a speed estimated to have been from 2 to 9 miles per hour when it was struck by train No. 213.

“The bus was practically destroyed and came to rest in a ditch of about 3 feet in depth parallel with the track just off the north ends of the ties and about 100 feet west of the crossing. The front end of motor 164 came to rest on top of the rear end of the bus and the rear end partly derailed on the road bed. The employees injured were the motorman and conductor of the passenger train.

“Edward Butler, driver of bus 343, stated that as he approached the crossing on the Lake Shore Electric Railway he made a stop about 8 or 9 feet from the tracks; he then got out, wiped the wind shield, walked ahead and looked up and down the track but could not see far on account of the snow, He then got back in the bus, looked both ways and started, and when the front end of the car had reached about the middle of the track, a passenger in the front end of the car called “train”. The bus driver said he then looked out and saw the train just before it struck the bus. He stated that he did not hear the whistle at any time, nor did he see the train coming before the passenger called a warning, saying it was snowing so hard that he could see a distance of only 25 or 30 feet. Bus Driver Butler further stated that he was perfectly familiar with the territory in which this accident occurred; he had operated a bus daily over this route for the past five months, and when employed by the Greyhound Lines he was required to undergo a physical examination which included his sight and hearing. He also said it is a requirement of the Greyhound Lines and of the Public Utility Law to make a stop at all railroad crossings….

“Motorman Schuyler, of train No. 213, stated that approaching the crossing his train was traveling at a speed of about 40 miles per hour and that he saw the bus when his train was about 800 feet from the crossing, being able to see that far because the snow had turned to rain; he also saw the bus make the safety stop 10 or 12 feet from the crossing but did not see the driver get out. When his train was about 200 feet from the crossing the bus started ahead and he then shut off the power, applied the brakes, put on the sanders and reversed the motors, and then stepped back out of the way. He stated that his train struck the bus right back of the cab, and estimated that the bus was traveling at a speed of 2 or 3 miles per hour and that he had reduced the speed of his train to about 25 miles per hour. The brakes on his car were operating properly and the headlight was burning dimly, on account of the weather conditions.

“Conductor Trueman, of train No. 213, stated that he was standing in the rear end of the car when he felt the brakes applied and heard the motorman sound several short blasts on the whistle, this being just before the accident occurred. He estimated the speed of his train to have been about 40 miles per hour and did not think there was any material reduction in the speed. He also said that it was snowing at the time of the accident….

“Section Foreman Everly stated that at the time of the accident he was at stop 215, located about 900 feet west of the crossing. He saw the bus approach the crossing, hoard train No. 213 sound the regular crossing whistles for several highway grade crossings, these crossings being located. 3,900 feet, 1 mile and l 1/2 miles, respectively, east of the point of accident, and shortly after the whistle signal for route 20 had been sounded he heard several short blasts of the whistle. He saw the bus stop momentarily at the crossing but did not see the driver leave the bus. He was also able to see the train approaching and realized that a collision was imminent.

“Conclusions:

“This accident was caused by a bus being driven on the track directly in front of an approaching train, for which Bus Driver Butler is responsible.

“While this crossing is not protected either by a watchman or automatic flash light devices, the fact remains that the bus driver was thoroughly familiar with the conditions at this crossing, having driven over it daily for a period of several months. He said the snow restricted his view to a distance of 25 or 30 feet, but other evidence indicated that the bus could be seen a distance of from 700 to 800 feet. Under these circumstances there is no reason why the bus driver should not have seen the approaching train unless the windows through which he was looking: were covered with steam, as was the case with some of the other windows. There is also a probability that when he brought the bus to a stop it was at a point which caused the line of poles beside the railway track to cut off his view when seated in the driver’s seat, and that the train was closely approaching the crossing at the time he returned to his seat and started ahead. If the windows at the head end of the bus were free from steam on the inside and snow on the outside, there is no reason why the use of reasonable precaution by the bus driver in stopping his bus, as well as in starting it, should not have enabled him to prevent this accident….” (ICC File No. 1481, “Report…Lake Shore.”  April 23, 1929.)

Newspaper

Jan 22: “Bellevue, O., Jan. 22 – (AP) – At least seventeen persons were killed and a number of others injured when a westbound Lake Shore electric interurban car crashed into a Pittsburgh-Chicago bus of the Greyhound company in a blinding snow-storm a mile and a half east of here this afternoon.”  (Decatur Daily Review, IL.  “Fear 17 Dead in Bus Crash.” 1-22-1929, p. 1.)

Sources

Decatur Daily Review, IL. “Fear 17 Dead in Bus Crash.” 1-22-1929, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=226660

United States Interstate Commerce Commission, File No. 1481, “Report of the Director of the Bureau of Safety in RE Investigation of an Accident Which Occurred on the Lake Shore Electric Railway near Bellevue, OH, on January 22, 1929.” Washington, DC: ICC, April 23, 1929. Reproduced by DOT Library, Special Collections, I.C.C. Historical Railroad Investigation Reports (1911-1994). Accessed at: http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net/