Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 179, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1917 — TOURIST IN BAD WRECK [ARTICLE]

TOURIST IN BAD WRECK

CAR CRASHED INTO DITCHING MACHINE AT EARLY HOUR THIS MORNING. Traveling at a high rate of speddL at 1:30 a. m., about a mile and a half north of Rensselaer this Wednesday morning, a six passenger Geoffrey touring car crashed into « tide ditching machine standing in the road just north of the Alfred Donnelly farm and as a result W. F. Priebe is in the hospital and the car is fit only for the scrap heap. W. F. Preibe, traveling for the Nash Motor Company, of Kenosha, Wis., was the driver of the car and the man who is in the hospital. He suffered several severe cuts about the hands and face as a result of being thrown through the windshield, and is also suffering from concussion of the brain. He can remember nothing concerning the accident or any of the events leading up to it. Priebe, with others, had been camping on the Wabash river near Lafayette for the past week and was on his way from Lafayette to Chicago, when the accident occurred, which was caused by the left front tire blowing out. The car swerved quickly and crashed into a heavy tile ditching machine, said to belong to men by the names of Casto and Garvin, which has been standing along the roadside for the past week or more. There was no light on the machine and the occupant had no chance to escape. The impact threw’ Preibe through the windchield and against the ditcher. Herbert Hammond, who was returning from a trip to Parr, found Mr. Priebe about fifty feet from the wrecked car, walking about in a dazed condition. He was placed in the car and brought to Rensselaer and placed in the hospital. The wrecked car was practically a new one, having been driven but 1,400 miles and belonged to the Nash Motor Co. The entire Iqft side of it was caved in and the'ear as a whole presented the appearance of kindling wood. With the exception of three wheels and tires and probably the engine, the car is a total loss. The driver of the car was accompanied this far by two other men from Lafayette, who decided to take no further chances on his driving and remained at the hotel over night. Priebe was in a hurry to get to Chicago, so set out alone. 'lt is said ‘ that he had been drinking and for this reason his companions did not care to accompany him further. Just what action, if any, will be taken by the owners of the car against the owners of the tile ditching machine is not known. The latter have come in for considerable criticism of late for allowing the machine to stand in the roads of a night without any headlight on it. It should be removed at once, as it is exceedingly dangerous to tourists.