Horrific Wreck
Donald Duke Photo, Jack Finn Collection, Donald Duke Collection
Rescue and cleanup crews work on a horrific wreck involving a truck and Pacific Electric interurban at the intersection of Lincoln Blvd. and Venice Blvd. on March 23, 1942.
Modified based on comments
Jack Finn Collection
Donald Duke Collection
Here is an alternate view of the wreck featuring Pacific Electric units nos. 958 and 986 at Lincoln and Venice, from the Craig Rasmussen Collection (photographer unknown):
Craig Rasmussen Collection
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I believe this location is at Venice Bl. at Lincoln Blvd.on the Venice Short line in Venice. The brick building in the upper right hand corner above the gas station is still standing, that is how I was able to ID this shot. Looks as if the truck that was hit was a military vehicle. I would guess the date at around the early to mid 1940’s. – Steve Crise
You’re right Steve. This is the intersection of Lincoln and Venice.
This collision at Lincoln & Venice occurred on March 23, 1942. According to the L.A. Times report, the train was a “westbound limited” ,which hit the army truck then derailed and struck the automobile, and all three then “jammed against a light post and a signal and burst into flames which demolished the truck.”
Ten soldiers and eight civilians were injured and/or burned, several critically, and “more than twoscore passengers” as well as the motorman E.M.Adams and conductor R.D. Holbrook escaped injury.
Harry – Great story and great sleuthing. This accident sort of reminds me of the terrible Metrolink wreck at Glendale in 2005. I tried to find this story myself at the LA Time site. Could you post the link to the story for us? Thanks – Steve Crise
For those into this sort of thing, the license plate on the back of the car next to the truck is a 1941 plate with a 1942 date strip along the top, the only year CA used a strip along the entire legnth of the plate and the first year that CA did not issue a new plate for that year except for new registrants.
PE (ex-LA Pacific) 958 was repaired and returned to service, not been scrapped until 1950 (data from Interurbans Special 36)
If that accident had happened either before the War or after, the trusty old #958 would have been a goner , no doubht about it!