Pottstown, PA Trolley Car Collision, July 1921

THREE DIE IN CRASH.

TWO TROLLEY CARS COLLIDE NEAR POTTSTOWN.

Pottstown, Pa., July 18 -- Two men and a woman were killed and 25 persons injured, some of them seriously, when two trolley cars on the Pottstown & Phoenixville Railway Line had a headon collision at Rahn's Hill, on the pike about a mile from Pottstown, late Saturday night.
A car going westward in charge of Motorman PAUL HEIMBACH, drifted past a switch when the brake apparatus was disabled, and, outof control, ran into a car in charge of Conductor ROBERT LACHMAN and Motorman CALVIN, which was to have passed HEIMBACH'S car on the switch. It had stopped on Rahn's Hill to let off passengers and the runaway car crashed into it with terrific force.
There were wild scenes after the collision, many passengers being caught between the seats. Motorman CALVIN LEVAN, aged 30 years, of Pottstown was pinned beneath the wreckage and DR. STAPP had to amputate a crushed leg to get him loose. His other leg had been cut off in the crash. The other dead are:
MRS. EVA SHANLEY WILSON, of York street, Pottstown, aged 23 years, whose skull was fractured.
EARL ENGLE, of Queen street, Pottstown. One leg was cut off and he sustained internal injuries.

The Gettysburg Times Pennsylvania 1921-07-18
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!