Grand Mound, IA Car, Truck Collision, July 1954

HEAD-ON CAR CRASH KILLS FOUR.

WRECKAGE OF CARS, TRUCK BLOCK ROAD.

CLARENCE TRUCKER INJURED IN COLLISION NEAR GRAND MOUND.

Special to The Gazette.
Grand Mound -- Four persons were killed in a head-on collision early Tuesday when a California motorist attempted to pass a westbound truck on highway 30 about a mile west of here, state police said.
Killed were:
BURTON GRAGE, about 20, of Calamus, driver of one of the cars, who was enroute to work at the Pillsbury Flour Mill Company, Clinton.
DOMENICE MARCHIONE, 60, of Reseda County, Calif., driver of the car which collided with GRAGE'S auto.
MARCHIONE'S wife, ANGELINA, also 60, riding with her husband.
ROSE BRINCIE, of Detroit also a passenger in the MARCHIONE car.
The driver of the truck, ALBERT ALBAUGH, 34, of Clarence, was hospitalized at De Witt.
At the hospital, ALBAUGH was reported in a state of shock. He reportedly suffered no broken bones, but had numerous abrasions.
All traffic on the highway was tied up with wreckage of three autos and the truck involved in the crash.
State highway patrolmen said GRAGE was eastbound. The first of two California cars, both westbound, attempted to pass a trailer truck. It crashed into GRAGE'S car just after clearing the truck but before the California driver was able to regain the westbound lane.
The truck, caught by the crash, plowed into the two cars. Before the second California auto could stop, it crashed into the wreckage.
The accident was one of the worst to occur on Iowa highways this year.
Sheriff Marvin Bruhn said the California couple was traveling west after apparently purchasing a new car in Detroit.
They had spent the evening with another couple at a DeWitt motel.
All three occupants of the MARCHIONE vehicle were pinned in the wreckage for 3 1/2 hours by force of the impact. A wrecker was necessary to pull the two automobiles apart.

Cedar Rapids Gazette Iowa 1954-07-13
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!