Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Otto Whitley, 1929
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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WHITLEY, OTTO
(7 Oct 1929, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
OTTO WHITLEY KILLED IN ACCIDENT, MONDAY
Death stalked into the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Whitley of Sayre Monday
morning and left in its wake the crushed and broken body of their son,
Otto for them to mourn over.
Young Whitley was killed at 9:20 Monday morning when a heavy international
ton truck loaded with cement passed over his body.  His spinal column was
crushed and his lungs caved in.
The driver of the ill fated truck stopped within six feet of the accident.
 Fellow workmen picked up Whitley and offered him a of drink water.  He
was unable to take it.
He looked at the driver and shook his head, knowing that his end was near.
 He died within 15 minutes of the time the accident occurred.  His father,
J. C. Whitley was working on the same job, that of the paving 66 highway
for the Standard Paving Company, within 300 years of the scene of the
tragedy.  The youth was working with the truck gang.
Funeral services had not been announced.  Burial it is believed will be in
Sayre-Doxey cemetery.  The body in charge of Hullum Undertakers.
(8 Oct 1929, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
SAYRE, Okla., Oct. 8 - (UP) - Funeral services were to be held today for
Otto Whipley (sic), 19-year-old paving company employee who was killed
early Monday when a ton truck loaded with cement passed over his body.  He
was working on highway No. 66 between Erick and Sayre at the time of the
accident.
(9 Jan 1930, Thursday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Incompetency of Fresno Driver Along With Negligence of Paving Company
Alleged In Petition
A civil suit asking for $25,000 damages for the death of their son, Otto
Whitley, 16, who was killed October 4 while at work six miles west of
Sayre on highway 66, was filed in district court January 2, against the
Standard Paving company, by the parents J. T. Whitley and Mrs. Mary
Whitley.
Alleged Incompetency
The petition filed in court alleges the boy was killed because of
incompetency of a teamster in the employ of the Standard Paving company. 
Who was driving a Fresno that caused the boy to be knocked under a heavy
moving truck, and because of negligence on the part of the paving company
for failure to provide a path of safety for the boy who was acting under
instructions when killed.
Information of the Whitley boy's death, as alleged in the petition, is
that he was working for the paving company that when instructed to perform
some task, he walked a few steps along the highway beside a Fresno, and
that as the driver turned the team a heavy Johnson bar on the Fresno
struck him and knocked him under a heavy truck that was passing by along
the highway.  He died instantly.

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