1951 — Jan 1, cars collide, US 1 (Baltimore Washington Boulevard), near Savage, MD — 7

–7 Associated Press. “10 Killed Set Record.” The News, Frederick, MD, 6-7-1954, p. 1.
–6 AP. “Six Killed In Boulevard Crash.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 1-2-1951, p. 7.
–1 The College of Wooster Memorial Directory. “Virginia T. Gross.”

Narrative Information

Jan 2, 1951, AP: “Savage, Md., Jan. 2 (AP) – A sickening head-on collision on the Baltimore-Washington Boulevard yesterday snuffed out the lives of six persons, including Dr. John H. Gross, widely known Presbyterian minister of Lansdowne, Pa. Also killed were his wife, Mrs. Kathryn Gross, and his 41-year-old daughter, Majorie B. Tobey, a teacher in Montclair, N.J. public schools.

“The other dead were Vivian Shortz, 20, John Y. Beate, 19, and Cleveland M. Walker, 32, Washington negroes, who were driving north.

“Critically injured in the smashup was Virginia T. Gross, Dr. Gross’s daughter and also a Montclair, N.J. teacher. [Died on Jan 22 (College of Wooster Memorial Directory)] Miss Gross suffered a fractured skull, two broken legs, a broken arm and possible internal injuries.

“State Police said the crash occurred shortly after 8 a.m. about a hundred feet north of a road intersection here. The two cars collided in the middle of the road, tossing bodies over the highway one in a field 25 yards from the road…

“Dr. Gross was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian church in 1912 and served churches in Ohio and Kansas until 1925, when he became treasurer and investment officer of the board of pensions of the Presbyterian church in the U.S.A….” (Associated Press. “Six Killed In Boulevard Crash.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 1-2-1951, p. 7.)

June 7, 1954: “Baltimore (AP) — The 10 persons killed when two cars crashed head on in Calvert County today set a new record for the most fatalities in a passenger car accident in Maryland. The Sate Police Statistical Division reported the precious high, seven, were killed in a passenger car accident on U.S. 1, New Year’s Day, 1951.” (Associated Press. “10 Killed Set Record.” The News, Frederick, MD, 6-7-1954, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “10 Killed Set Record.” The News, Frederick, MD, 6-7-1954, p. 1. Accessed 7-23-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/news-jun-07-1954-p-1/?tag

Associated Press. “Six Killed In Boulevard Crash.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 1-2-1951, p. 7. Accessed 6-19-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-jan-02-1951-p-7/

The College of Wooster Memorial Directory. “Virginia T. Gross.” Accessed 6-19-2023 at: https://wooster.edu/alumni/memorial/