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Clinton Gamble (1953)

GAMBLE

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 7/24/2007 at 13:50:14

Winterset Madisonian-Winterset, Iowa
August 12, 1953; p. 1

COMPANION HAS NARROW ESCAPE

Fifth Highway Death of Year in County Occurs on Turkey Ranch Hill

Clinton Gamble, age 34, of Emerson, was crushed to death in the wreckage of the semi-trailer truck he was driving early Saturday morning when the huge vehicle plunged from highway No. 92 on the Turkey Ranch hill near Patterson.

William H. Morrison, aged 32, also of Emerson, miraculuously escaped with minor injuries.

He was asleep in the cab when the crash occurred. He appears to have been thrown at least partially clear. He actually was thrown right out of his trousers, for he had been sleeping with them on, and they were found later inside the wreckage.

Morrison was taken to Memorial hospital in Winterset for treatment of shock, cuts and bruises. He was still a patient at the hospital Tuesday, where his condition was described as fair.

The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m. Saturday as the big truck, loaded with fresh meat, was eastward bound. What caused the accident, probably will never be known definitely. Evidence at the scene indicates that either the driver lost control of the machine on the sharply curving hill or there was a mechanical failure of some kind.

At any rate, the truck appears to have gone out of control on the first curve down from the top of the Turkey ranch hill. From that point, the big vehicle slanted directly across the pavement and shoulder, crashed through the fence and down through heavy timber about 40 feet down the steep hillside.

The big truck cut a swath through the heavy growth of trees, snapping them off cleanly, large and small. The heavily-laden trailer came to rest on the cab, which had jack-knifed back underneath. Then the trailer over-turned. The entire vehicle was demolished.

Morrison walked to Patterson to telephone for help.

Gamble, who was killed in the wreck, was a veteran of World War II. He was a son of Arlie C. Gamble of Thayer and was born at Hastings, Feb. 7, 1919.

It was the fifth highway fatality of the year in Madison county.


 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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