Vandalia, IL Automobile Accident, Sep 1929

E. E. WILLIS, AGED WELDON SPRINGS FARMER IS KILLED.

SIX OTHERS HURT, THREE PROBABLY FATALLY, WHEN CAR UPSETS NEAR VANDALIA.

Clinton, Sept. 7 -- EVAN E. WILLIS, eighty-two, of Weldon Springs, is dead and several other persons are in the Mark Greer Hospital in Vandalia, probably fatally injured as the result of an automobile accident on the Old National Trail ten miles east of Vandalia at 6:15 Saturday night.
The injured are:
MRS. EVAN E. WILLIS, internally injured and not expected to live.
WILLIAM WILLIS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Willis, skull fracture and unconscious.
MRS. WILLIAM WILLIS, minor bruises and cuts.
JUNIOR and ORVILLE WILLIS, sons of Mr. and Mrs. William Willis, cuts and bruises.
LLOYD HOWELL, St. Elmo, skull fracture and unconscious; condition considered critical.
The accident in which EVAN WILLIS was killed instantly and the other members of the party were hurt more or less seriously, occurred as the Willis families were on their was to St. Elmo to spend the week-end with relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Lon Howell, parents of LLOYD HOWELL. They had gone from Clinton to Vandalia by the evening Illinois Central train and were met at Vandalia by LLOYD DOWELL, who was driving a Chrysler car.
As the party was driving eastward, suddenly something seemed to go wrong with the car. It left the road and turned over three times, coming to rest on its wheels. Every occupant of the car was thrown out. EVAN WILLIS was found to have been killed instantly, and three of the others were in a critical condition.
Passers-by brought the injured persons to the Mark Greer Hospital here, where they were given such treatment and care as was possible.
Relatives of the victims left Clinton at once for the hospital, and at a late hour Saturday night were with them, fearful that at any moment one or more of them would join the aged father in death.
The Willises are prominent farming people living on farms just south of Weldon Springs, where they have made their homes for many years.

Decatur Daily Review Illinois 1929-09-08
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!