NEWS: Death of David CLAYTON, Raymond KYLUS seriously injured resulting from 
automobile crash, 1931, of interest in Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

Copyright 2011.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/
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DAVID CLAYTON, RAYMOND KYLUS, WILLIAM FLYNN and, LESTER FATKIN 

Cumberland Man Killed in Crash

Another Seriously Injured in Beachley Street Collision Thursday Night

  David Clayton, of Cumberland, Md., a travelling salesman representing the 
Cumberland Dry Goods Co., was fatally injured and Raymond Kylus, Frostburg, was 
seriously injured as a result of an automobile collision on Beachley Street, 
Meyersdale, at 9:30 last Thursday night.  Both injured men were removed to the 
Wenzel Hospital where Clayton died shortly after his admission.  Kylus is still 
a patient there.  Two other companions of the latter, William Flynn and Lester 
Fatkin, from Frostburg, were treated for minor injuries.
  Clayton was reported to have been travelling south on Beachley Street in a 
Chevrolet coach prior to the accident and for some unexplained reason pulled to 
his left side of the street, where he parked his car without lights and remained 
in the driver's seat.  Another car was parked ahead of the place where the 
Clayton car was brought to a standstill.
  How long the Chevrolet was parked has not been determined, but about 9:30 
o'clock, just as Elmer Ward, of Frostburg, with three travelling companions was 
approaching this spot, travelling northward, the Clayton car without lights is 
reported to have nosed into the former's path.
  The results of the collision established the fact fairly well that the 
Frostburg boys, occupying a Ford coach, were travelling at a speedy clip.  The 
Chevrolet was almost demolished, the motor being driven back to the front seat 
and the steering column being twisted by the weight of the victim's body, which 
was thrust against it so that it almost extended through the windshield.
  The Ford was not so badly wrecked due to the fact that is seemed to contact 
more in a diagonal direction and then bound off at a different angle.  Mr. 
Clayton was so badly cut and bruised about the face that he was scarcely 
recognizable to persons quite well acquainted with him.  Death was caused by a 
fracture at the base of the skull.
  Raymond A. Kylus, who was a passenger in the front seat of the Ford was hurled 
through the windshield of the car and severely injured when he landed upon the 
concrete many feet from where the wreck occurred.  At the Wenzel Hospital where 
he is a patient it is thought that he will be able to leave within the next few 
days.
  The fatally injured man was well known throughout this district, due to many 
years of association in a business way with the merchants of the community.  
About three months ago his wife died and since that time he was said to have 
been very meloncholy.
  Both state and local police investigated the accident but held no one as a 
result of their findings.  However, they requested Mr. Ward to appear at the 
inquest which was held in the borough council chambers, Monday evening.

Driver Exonerated

  The inquest was conducted by Deputy Coroner Mrs. Guy Fluke before a jury 
composed of the following local citizens:  Simon W. Bittner, David R. Cramer, 
Louis Smearman, Hilary Dawson, John Imhoff and Roy Commons.  Among the witnesses 
examined were Elmer Ward, driver of the Frostburg car, and Lester Fatkin and 
William Flynn, his companions, the other occupant of the car, Raymond A. Kylus, 
being yet unable to leave the hospital.  The local witnesses were William 
Horning, Clay Beynon, Policeman James Campbell, James Carroll, and several 
others.
  At the conclusion of the testimony the jury retired to an adjoining room and 
were not out long until they returned a verdict exonerating Mr. Ward from all 
blame in connection with the fatal accident.  The inquest adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Meyersdale Republican, October 1, 1931