Eva Almy In Two-Car Crash

ALMY, PORTER, KORNS, HUBBARD

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 2/23/2014 at 07:44:37

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
Oct. 6, 1958

LOCAL WOMAN DIES AFTER
CRASH AT RURAL INTERSECTION

MRS. EVA ALMY IS
IN TWO-CAR CRASH

Mrs. Eva Luella Almy, 89, Grinnell, became Poweshiek county's fourth traffic fatality of 1958 Friday when she died at a local hospital of injuries received earlier that same day in a two-car collision northwest of Grinnell.

Crash occurred at about 4:10 p.m. at a four-way intersection of two gravel roads located three miles north and one mile west. The intersection is just south of the Gilmore Robbins farm.

Mrs. Almy was a passenger in an auto driven by Mrs. Harlan Porter. Other passengers in the Porter vehicle, all hospitalized locally and reported to be in satisfactory condition, were Mrs. Frank Porter and Harriett Korns. Driver of the second machine involved was Max Hubbard of near Kellogg.

The two autos met right of the intersection with the east bound Hubbard car striking the Porter auto on the right side. Hubbard's auto careened into a ditch, flipped over and landed on its top. The Porter car veered off to the left and landed in the same ditch about 15 feet from Hubbard's auto. However, the Porter auto didn't roll over.

Hubbard was not seriously injured in the crash, although he did complain of painful bruises. He was not hospitalized.

In a talk with a Herald-Register newsman shortly after the crash, Hubbard said he could remember nothing after the initial impact until he found himself crawling up the bank of the ditch a few minutes later. Top of his car was crushed down over the front seat, leaving very little room.

Once out of the ditch, Hubbard said he went to the Porter car where he helped the women. He then ran to the nearby Robbins home and reported the accident. An ambulance arrived on the scene a few minutes later and took the injured women to a hospital. Hubbard remained to talk with investigating officer Highway Patrolman Paul Gearhart and Grinnell Police officers Bob Thompson and Max Allen.

NO STOP SIGN

Hubbard said neither car was traveling at a high rate of speed but that vision of both drivers was probably impaired by sunlight and vegetation in a field near the intersection. There are no stop signs at the intersection.

Damages to the Porter machine amounted to several hundred dollars although no exact estimate was available. Hubbard's car was a total loss.

Mrs. Almy, widow of a former professor at Grinnell college, died about three hours after the accident.