Lester Woolsey (1895-1930)

WOOLSEY

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Nevada Evening Journal September 6, 1930 (page 1)

Front page headline:
MAN DIED FROM CRASH INJURIES

WAS RACING TO BEDSIDE OF DYING FATHER OF HIS WIFE

Grim Death stalks over Iowa's paved roads continually and takes an increasing toll of lives through motor car crashes.

Lester Woolsey, 33, young married man of Atlantic, is dead at Iowa sanitarium today from injuries sustained about 8:00 o'clock Friday
night, when a Fort Tudor car that he was driving, crashed into the the corner of a mammoth asphalt mixing machine that was being slowly moved over the Lincoln highway.

The fatal accident occurred at a point about three-quarters of a mile west of Nevada, just over a slight rise in the road. The machine was standing still at the time and the men in charge claim that there was a light on rear of the machine and that there was a man with lantern flagging passing cars to call attention to the danger.

The Ford struck the heavy machine with such force that it was moved slight distance and the motor car crumpled up, a total wreck and it seemed almost miraculous that the man was taken from it alive.

Dr. Conner was called and attended the man at the scene of the accident, after which he was taken to Iowa sanitarium.

Examination showed that the left arm was broken above the elbow the left hip was unjointed, there were many bruises and lacerations of the body with indications of internal injuries. The man died about ten o'clock this morning.

Woolsey, an artist --------- in coloring photos and other pictures, lived at Atlantic, but had been working in Minnesota, with headquarters in Austin.

His wife had been at Corydon with her father who had been ill and she had summoned her husband to Corydon Friday by a message stating that the father was dying.

Woolsey was on his way to Corydon when he met his death.

A brother and his wife were notified at Atlantic immediately following the accident and they arrived here about 2:30 this morning and were with the man when he died.

The asphalt machine was the property of the McDougal Construction company of Sioux City and was being moved over into southwestern Iowa. It was n charge of L. Kircher as foreman and other men with the outfit were G. A. Goettsch of Gladbrook, Will Bruns of Traer, Howard Spooner of Emmetsburg and F. H. McGragh of Marshalltown.

While the real cause of the accident will of course never be known it would appear that Mr. Woolsey, coming upon the large machine, as he came up over rise was going at a rapid speed and seeing another car coming from the west, was unable to pass the machine on the left side, so swerved to the right side and struck the corner of the wide machine.

Many people who saw the machine, which was parked on Lincoln avenue here during the lat afternoon, say that when it was being driven well to the right side of the pavement, it would protrude over the center line of the paving and passing cars were compelled to take to the shoulder of the paving in getting around the machine.

Several local people who passed the machine during the afternoon, between Nevada and Colo, and in the evening after it pulled out of Nevada, had the same opinion of its width.