1942 — Feb 22, Reynold’s fam. car hit by train at railroad crossing, near Abingdon, VA–  8

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 7-1-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  8  Portsmouth Times, OH. “8 Killed as Fast N. & W. Flyer hits Automobile.” 2-23-1942, 3.

—  8  The Bee, Danville, VA. “Eight Killed At Grade Crossing near Abingdon.” 2-23-1942, 1.

Narrative Information

Feb 23, Portsmouth Times: “Abingdon, Va., Feb. 23 — Eight persons were killed when a Norfolk & Western Railway passenger train struck an automobile here Sunday afternoon. Taylor Reynolds, driver of the car, was injured seriously. He was standing erect, shocked and dazed, holding to the side of his wrecked machine, when a witness reached the scene. Mr. Reynolds’ wife and four children and three other persons not immediately identified were killed, the bodies strewn along the track for 50 feet.” (Portsmouth Times, OH. “8 Killed as Fast N&W Flyer hits Automobile.” 2-23-1942, 3.)

Feb 23, The Bee: “By The Associated Press. A train-automobile collision near Abingdon yesterday afternoon took the lives of eight persons, while accidents in other parts of the state increased to 16 the total number of fatalities over the week-end. Taylor W. Reynolds, of the Greens-springs section, Washington county, was the lone survivor of a party of nine in the car involved in the grade crossing accident.  He was found standing in a dazed condition by the side of the wrecked machine when Sterling McConnell, an eyewitness, reached the scene. Bodies of the victims were strewn along the tracks for a distance of 50 feet by the eastbound second section of the Norfolk and Western passenger train. Reynolds’s wife and five children and two other relatives were killed.  The dead:

Mrs. Taylor W. Reynolds, 27.

Rufus Clayton, 8.

Dorothy Irene, 7.

Franklin J., 4.

Thelma Jane, 2.

Charlie Lewis, 7 months..

Robert Emmett Reynolds, 12, cousin of Taylor Reynolds.

Miss Ann Nunley, 33, sister of Mrs. Reynolds.

“The party was enroute to their homes when the accident occurred. Reynolds, suffering from shock and a cut arm, was taken to a hospital in Abingdon.” (The Bee, Danville, VA. “Eight Killed At Grade Crossing near Abingdon.” 2-23-1942, 1.)

Sources

Portsmouth Times, OH. “8 Killed as Fast N. & W. Flyer hits Automobile.” 2-23-1942, 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=62827168

The Bee, Danville, VA. “Eight Killed At Grade Crossing near Abingdon.” 2-23-1942, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91379389