Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

1940 Train Wreck  



Unable to stop his Marshall county highway truck on the snow-covered road before it slup up on the track in front of as Pennsylvania train, Wayne Menser jumped to saftey a few seconds before the passenger train struck the finve-ton vechile, carrying it down the track about a 100 yards.

The accident occurred Thursday at 11:01 a.m. at the crossing near the Zechiel farm, south of town of ROad 17. Menser was driving west as he came to the crossing where the visibility of the truck is hampered by high banks.

The impact was so great that the cow-catcher was demolished and the truck wedged under the front end of the train. Several pipes and connections on the engine were also damaged by the collision.

The cab and motor on the truck were completely wrecked, as was the fron part of the truck were completely wrecked, as was the fron part of the chasses. Has Menser stayed in the truck he undoubtedly would have been killed.

It is said the no accident insurance was carried on the truck, which was new last year, as the county commissioners had decided a few years ago to discontinue all insurance policies as an economy measure.

Passengers, trainmen, and passerby view the wrecked truck. In the foregorund is George Nearpass, brakeman and son of the founder of the Citizen. The conductor is behind the truck's engine, wondering how he is going to make up the 45 minutes delay so that passengers will make connections at Logansport and other points. To his left is Alfred Kingery. The picture show how completely thr truck's cab was wrecked and the engine torn from the front axle. The window in the front of the engine was broken by the terrific impact. The dug-up right-of-way in the fore ground shows how the truck was drugged when the train p ulled itself fee from the wreck.

Wayne Menser, driver of the truck, and Moses Triplett inspect the pressed-up engine and demolised cab. The view shows where the speeding train struck the five-ton truck, reducing the front end of the vechile to a mass of twisted iron. A wrecker is backing up to the truck to ha ul it free from the track so that the slightly crippled train can continue on its south-bound trip.

Culver Citizen Articel and photos.