Greyhound bus collide ~Alpena, MI –11-14

lornajarrettblanchard August 18, 1951

— 14 National Safety Council. Accident Facts 1970 Edition. Chicago, IL: NSC, 1970. p. 63.^[1]

— 11 Traverse City Record-Eagle, MI. “Alpena Crash Brings Suit.” 8-28-1951, p. 13.

— 10 Ludington Daily News, MI. “10 Killed in Bus, Truck Saturday [Aug 18].” 8-20-1951, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Aug 20: “Associated Press. Thirty-one persons met violent deaths in Michigan accidents over the week-end. Highway smashups claimed 20 lives, 10 in a bus and beer truck crash near Alpena. Six persons drowned and live others died in miscellaneous mishaps.

“State police promised a full investigation into the Saturday bus-truck crash near Alpena that killed 10 persons and injured 27 others, nine of them critically. State troopers explained they wanted to determine the factors that brought on the head-on crash. However, neither Sgt. Kenneth F. White, commanding the Alpena post, nor Alpena county prosecutor Donald Habermehl would say whether any prosecution was planned.

“Arthur Aube, of Ossineke, 23-year-old driver of the big beer truck, and his assistant, Harold Ervin Bromund, 18, of Alpena, both lost their lives in the crash. Bus driver Irwin Barett of Mackinaw City was among the critically injured, and still cannot be questioned about the wreck.

“However, State Police quoted witnesses as saying the bus, southbound from Mackinaw city to Detroit with more than 40 passengers, tried to pass a car on the two-lane US-23. A northbound car swerved to avoid the bus and the beer truck, directly behind, hit the rear end of the car and was thrown into the path of the oncoming bus.

“The other dead, all passengers on the bus, included:

Saradean Thomas, 25, Highland Park.^[2]

Stella Gray, 50, St. Clair.

Hazel Wyatt Duncan, Detroit.

Mrs. Lois Hansen, 31, Detroit.

Darline Grice, 11, Flint.

Mrs. Iris Dennis, Muir.

Mrs. G. R. Turner, Lansing.

Mary Gamal, Lansing…..”

(Ludington Daily News, MI. “10 Killed in Bus, Truck Saturday.” 8-20-1951, p. 1.)

Aug 28: “Bay City, Mich., Aug. 28 – (UP) – A damage suit by the Greyhound Corp. was on file in federal court, today asking $32,000 as a result of the bus-truck-car crash which claimed 11 lives August 18. Named as defendants in the suit are Charles A. Lee and Rosemary and Theodore Fenick, all of Alpena. Lee is being sued as an individual and as owner of the Alpena Beer Distributing Co. He owned the truck which collided almost head-on with the southbound bus six miles from Alpena. The Fenicks are cited for negligence. Their auto, driven by Mrs. Fenick was directly in front of the truck and swerved suddenly from the road as the bus approached, the suit alleged.

“The beer truck attempted to pass the car and crashed into the approaching bus.

“Arthur Aube, driver of the truck, also was cited for negligence. He was killed in the crash.

“Greyhound’s requests for $32,000 represents the value it placed on the bus.

“Irwin Barrett, 38, driver of the bus, became the 11^th victim of the accident last night. He died in Alpena hospital.” (Traverse City Record-Eagle, MI. “Alpena Crash Brings Suit.” 8-28-1951, 13.)

Sources

Ludington Daily News, MI. “10 Killed in Bus, Truck Saturday.” 8-20-1951, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=135517354&sterm

National Safety Council. “Greatest Number of Deaths in a Single Motor-Vehicle Accident.” Accident Facts 1970 Edition. Chicago, IL: NSC, 1970. p. 63.

Oak Park Oak Leaves, IL. “Ex-Villager Killed in Bus Crash.” 9-6-1951, p. 46. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=180627066&sterm

Traverse City Record-Eagle, MI. “Alpena Crash Brings Suit.” 8-28-1951, p. 13. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=5734892&sterm

[1] I have been able to substantiate eleven deaths up through Aug 28. Perhaps 3 other injured died later.

[2] Niece of Mrs. Hazel Wyatt Duncan. They were on their way back to Detroit from a vacation. (Oak Park Oak Leaves, “Ex-Villager Killed in Bus Crash.” IL. 9-6-1951, p. 46.)