1959 — June 8, auto and trucks collide, family killed, Rt. 22 ~Duncansville, western PA– 6

— 6 Altoona Mirror, PA. “Six Members of One Family Die in Crash.” 6-9-1959, p. 1.

Narrative Information

June 9: “Six members of a Williamsburg [PA] family died in an automobile-truck collision at the intersection of old and new Route 22 a quarter-mile west of Duncansville at 7:35 p. m. yesterday. They were returning from a business trip to Cresson [PA]. The family was that of Wilmer E. Hinish, 34, of 103 Locust St., Williamsburg. The dead are Mr. and Mrs. Hinish and four of their five children, ranging from 10 months to 12 years in age.

“The other vehicles involved in the accident with the Hinish sedan were a pickup truck operated by Theodore McMaster, 35, of Burns Ave., Canan Station [PA], and a truck operated by Letter H. Hall, 36, of Claysburg. McMaster, whose truck is reported to have struck the rear of the Hinish car and caused it to collide head-on with the Hall truck, was lodged in the county jail following examination and observation of his condition by a physician.

“The truck operated by Mr. Hall was loaded with bagged cement and in the collision some of the
bags were broken open as they were thrown from the truck. The dust of the cement was held the
cause of one death by asphyxiation.

“In the collision the left front of the truck crushed the left side of the automobile, the left front wheel of the truck being in the back seat of the car when the machines came to a stop.

“State police investigating officers this morning filed charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and of manslaughter against McMaster, on direction of Capt. Singleton Shaeffer, commanding officer of the Hollidaysburg Troop C, 2nd District detachment. Capt. Shaeffer announced that he will ask District Attorney Park H. Loose for prosecution on six counts, the number of persons who died in the accident. The charges were filed before Justice of the Peace Roy D. Hopkins of Maple Hollow, near Duncansville, in whose district the accident occurred. McMaster was arraigned before the justice late this morning.

“State police report that the Hinish car was moving toward Duncansville from the west when it was overtaken by the McMaster truck. While beginning a pass McMaster saw the Hall truck approaching from the opposite direction. In turning back into the east-bound lane, McMaster struck the rear of the Hinish car, causing it to swerve and pushing it into the westbound lane, into the path of the Hall truck which it struck almost head-on.

“….The Hall truck was almost stopped at the time of the collision, the operator having seen the car swerve into his lane. Bags of cement were thrown from the Hall truck on the collision and created clouds of heavy dust. The death of the baby, William, was ascribed to asphyxiation by the cement dust. All the dead suffered fractures of the skull along with other fractures and multiple lacerations.” (Altoona Mirror, PA. “Six Members of One Family Die in Crash.” 6-9-1959, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=73996113 )