Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 18, Number 41, DeMotte, Jasper County, 10 September 1948 — Joe Perrino Killed As Car, Truck Collide [ARTICLE]

Joe Perrino Killed As Car, Truck Collide

3 Companions Injured Slightly; Truck Passenger Treated Here For Injuries Joe Perrino, race driver, Dorsey Hotel, Chicago, was killed, and three passengers in his car were injured slightly last Friday morning when the 1948 Mercury club coupe driven by Perrino struck a truck on Highway 53 in front of the Tom Swart home one and onehalf miles north of DeMotte. Injured slightly were: Frank Sesco, 3815 Levitt street, Chicago; bruised; Anthony, Granatillo, race driver 5652 Broadway, Chicago, minor bruises; Joseph Granatillo, brother of Anthony, same address, minor bruises. Another Hurt Receiving head injuries and deep cuts on the head was lidward Miller, 61, Gilman, 111., treated at Jasper County hospital. Also involved in the accident was Emory Lawson, 35, Gilman, 111., truck driver who escaped injury. Perrino was pinned in the debris of his car, with his face mangled and bqth arms almost ripped off. Perrino and his companions were enroute to Chicago and were traveling north when they crashed with Lawson’s southbound truck The Mercury was a total loss and the truck was extensively damaged. The Chicagoans had stopped at the sandwich shop at Korker’s Inp Corner about four miles from the scene of the accident only a few minutes before the crash. The dead and injured were removed to Valparaiso by Bruce Todd of DeMotte, Deputy Coroner of Jasper county, with the exception of Miller who was brought here for treatment by Deputy Everett Byrd. It was necessary to get a wrecker and pull the Mercury 1 back into a semblance of its forj mer shape before Perrino could be I removed from the wreckage. The

wrecker was operated by Ivan Cheever of DeMotte. Deputy Sheriff John Lesh conducting the investigation complimented the DeMotte people who assisted at the scene of the accident for the excellent manner in which they took charge of a bad situation. Investigation showed the car struck the left front corner and the left rear wheel of the truck. Lawson in a sworn statement said he had the right front wheel of his truck off the pavement in his attempt to avoid the oncoming tar. There were no tire tracks by which to judge the positions of the two vehicles. Lawson was subjected to a blood test to determine if he had been drinking. Result of the test had not been announced at noon. The Granatillos manufacture super-chargers for “hot rod” cars of the miniature car racing circuits.