1959 — Nov 9, Vehicular Accident, three trucks and one car, West Brooklyn, IL            —      7

— 7  Quarterly of the NFPA. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1959.” Vol. 53, July 1960, p. 30.

— 7  UPI. “Highway Crash Kills Seven.” Galesburg Register-Mail, IL. 11-9-1959, p. 3.

 

Narrative Information

 

NFPA:  “Automobile of Earl Martin, West Brooklyn, Ill., Nov. 9, Early Morning, 7 Killed. An early morning three truck — one car crack-up on U. S. Route 30 resulted in the deaths of seven persons. The six members of the Earl Martin family were trapped in their 1958 4-door, hardtop Pontiac when a United Parcel trailer unit landed on top of their car following the collision, Fire involved most of the vehicles and burned the Martin family to death and also killed the driver of one of the trucks.” (NFPA Quarterly. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1959.” V53, July 1960, p. 30.)

 

UPI:  “Rochelle, Ill. (UPI) – Seven persons were killed today in a flaming wreck of three trucks and a station wagon that blocked traffic on U.S. 30 more than three hours. The accident occurred four miles west of the U.S. 51 intersection, which is 11 miles south of here.

 

“The identified dead, according to state police, included:

Edward P. Hirsch, Clinton, Iowa

Earl Martin, Prophetstown, Ill.

Mrs. Martin.

Willard Hartshorn, Rock Falls, Ill.

Mrs. Hartshorn

Richard Martin.

Mrs. Richard Martin.

 

“The Richard Martins were identified as the son and daughter-in-law of the Earl Martins. Mrs.

Hartshorn was reported to be the daughter of the Earl Martins.

 

“Fire departments from West Brooklyn and Compton fought the blaze that resulted from the wreck, which involved two semitrailer tank trucks and an “express” truck, according to the Lee County sheriff’s office. The accident occurred a little after 5:30 a.m….One man was burned severely, the state patrol said, and was taken to a hospital at Amboy, Ill….

 

“Hirsch was said to have been the driver of a tank truck enroute from Clinton to Chicago. The site of the wreck was about 70 miles west of Chicago.” (UPI. “Highway Crash Kills Seven.” Galesburg Register-Mail, IL. 11-9-1959, p. 3.)

 

Sources

 

National Fire Protection Association.  “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1959.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 53, July 1960, pp. 7-38.

 

United Press International. “Highway Crash Kills Seven.” Galesburg Register-Mail, IL. 11-9-1959, p. 3. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=141209312&sterm=martin