SCENE AT SWEA CITY AFTER FATAL ACCIDENT ELECTION DAY
THIS PICTURE (above) shows the highway through the main street of Swea City, with the covered body of Mrs. J. H. Holcomb in the intersection; following the fatal accident Tuesday morning in which the 72-year-old woman was instantly killed.
The picture, by Al Missal, looks west in the direction of travel of the oil truck which collided with the car in which Mrs. Holcomb was riding.
The accident occurred so suddenly that there were no witnesses and only sketchy reports were given by most passers-by. The accident happened about 10:25 a.m. Tuesday on the corner of Highway 6 and the Swea City main street, in the center of town.
It was Election Day and Mrs. Holcomb and a friend, Emily Moline, 65, who lived directly across the street, planned to drive downtown to vote and pick up some groceries.
They voted shortly after 10 o’clock and were driving north on the main street to complete their grocery buying.
At the same time, Gerald Ferris, Sinclair Oil tank wagon distributor, Algona, was entering Swea City from the east to make a delivery to the John Verbrugge station three blocks beyond the main street.
Immediately in back of Ferris was a gravel truck driven by Richard Marso, Humboldt. Both men said there were traveling at less than 20 m.p.h. as they drove through town. Ferris slowed down at the intersection of the main street and highway (there is no stop sign there for highway traffic.) He looked to the left and then to the right and continued on.
Suddenly, Miss Moline, who had stopped at the stop sign to the left of the highway, pulled out and the car and truck collided in the middle of the intersection. It was reported that neither could have been exceeding 20 m.p.h.
The weight of the heavier truck spun the 1950 grey Moline Chevrolet completely around. The door on Mrs. Holcomb’s side flew open, and she was thrown from the car, and under the left rear wheels of the Ferris truck, decapitating her.
Ferris stopped his truck as soon as possible. Within seconds there was a small knot of horror-stricken people gathered at the corner.
One of the first on the scene was Florence Boeder, Swea City, who with Max O’Keffe, barber, rushed out of the latter’s shop, seconds after they heard the sound of the accident.
Only two doors away Don Johnson, employee at the Bravender clothing store, was just walking out the front door when accident occurred. However it is believed that the only actual witness to the accident was Marso, the driver of the gravel truck.
Miss Moline did not suffer any injuries, although she was in a hysterical condition shortly after the accident. It was at least two hours before the Moline machine was hauled away, and Mrs. Holcomb’s body taken to the Curtis Funeral Home.
Deputy Sheriff Don Wood, Patrolman Ward Allen, and Coroner John Schutter investigated the accident.
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~ 5/2021~Transcribed & Submitted by Linda Ziemann