Obituaries:  John Hammonds, Sabine Parish       H-553
Source:  Sabine Index, Many, La., Feb 25, 1971
Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck
              carlrad@earthlink.net


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John Hammonds

  Two persons died of injuries, and 11 others were hurt in a two
vehicle crack-up on a rain slick DeSoto Parish Highway, at 7:15,
Saturday night. It was Hwy 174, 2 1/2 miles north of
Sabine-DeSoto Parish line, near Converse.

  Dead on arrival at Mansfield Hospital, was Robert Procell, 72
year old Zwolle resident, a passenger in a 1964 model southbound
auto, being driven by Loren Lister Strum, 43, of Rt. 3, Longview,
Tex. Charges of drunk driving and negligent injury were filed by
State Police Sgt. Floyd E. Lambert, against the Texan.

  John Hammonds, 45, Bossier City, died of multiple injuries,
Sunday, in a Shreveport hospital. He, along with six members of
his family, were passengers in a Volkswagen bus, driven by Howard
Murphy, 43, of Bossier City. All were injured, as were Ronnie
Gatewood, 23, and John Ivie, 24, both of Henderson, Ky. Sgt.
Lambert said the two vehicles collided, following a heavy
downpour, late Saturday. The Volkswagen bus with its nine
passengers was returning from Toledo Bend, when it was struck by
the southbound Strum car.

  Mrs. Sybil Strum, 44, wife of the driver, and Mrs. Corrine
Procell, 74, widow of the crash victim, plus the driver, were
injured in the wreck, which saw 13 persons involved. Four
ambulances were summoned to the scene, including Sabine Ambulance
Service of Many, bringing the injured to a Mansfield hospital,
where they were treated, and transferred to Shreveport.

  Most seriously injured were Murphy, who has broken legs, cuts,
abrasions, and internal injuries, Mrs. Nelda Hammonds, 44, broken
legs, and other undetermined injuries, and her daughter, Linda
Hammonds, 11, both legs broken, fractured jaw, and lacerations.
Hurt, but not seriously, were John Hammonds Jr., 15, Susan
Hammonds, 12, and Janice Hammonds, 17.

  Sgt. Lambert said Ivie, and Gatewood had been released, but the
Hammonds family remains in the hospital at Barksdale Air Force
Base, and the other survivors were in Doctors Hospital in
Shreveport.