The Frontier

As Speeding Streamliner Strikes Car

SPECIAL TO THE FRONTIER.

CLEARWATER—Three young men, all born and reared in a rural community northeast of Clearwater, were killed almost instantly early Monday near Valley when the Union Pacific railroad's City of Denver streamliner crashed into their automobile.

The dead are:

DONALD R. MICHAEL, 21.

DUARD HAAKE, 21

KENNETH HOEFS, 20.

Reynold Liss, Union Pacific station agent at Valley, gave this version of the accident:

A westbound freight was pulling through Valley on a branch line about 1:15 a. m. The eastbound City of Denver was approaching on the main line, which runs parallel with the branch. The auto in which the three youths were riding turned south on Valley's main street, which intersects the railroad tracks.

Liss said the car stopped at the main line tracks. Another car was in the area between the main and the branch lines, he continued, and the driver of the car bearing the three men apparently decided to get into the space between the two lines also.

He started to drive across the tracks and had almost cleared them when the streamliner clipped the rear of the vehicle. The impact hurled the car across the street and against a metal lamp post, about 25 feet away. The post was sheared off.

Car Travels 30 Feet

The car, still on its wheels, stopped 30 feet away from the tracks.

A hole was ripped in the rear of the car and it is believed that Hoefs and Haake were hurled through the hole. The bodies were found 51 and 54 feet from the car.

Michael's body was found 20 feet south of the car. He is believed to have been driving and was thrown through the left front door.

The acting Douglas county coroner, George Sullivan, said the warning signals were working.

Haake and Michael were visiting with Hoefs, a Midland college student and World War II veteran, at Fremont.

The three were lifelong friends and had been confirmed in the same class at Concordia Lutheran church at Clearwater.

The Hoefs funeral service was to have been held today (Thursday) at 2 p. m. at the Trinity Lutheran church in Fremont with burial in Memorial park there.

Tentative plans have been made for double funeral rites for Haake and Michael. The services are scheduled for 2 p. m. Friday at Concordia Lutheran church.

Young Hoefs' survivors include: Parents—Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hoefs; sisters Rachel Hoefs and Mrs. Wilmer Westphal, both of Fremont.

Survivors of young Michael include: Mother—Mrs. Anna Michael; brothers—Lawrence and Harold; sister—Mrs. Emil Ahlers, all of Clearwater.

Surviving young Haake are: Parents—Mr. and Mrs. Henry Haake; brothers—Marlin and Lyle; sisters Louetta, Louella and Lyla, all of Clearwater.

The Snider funeral home, of Clearwater, is handling arrangements for the double funeral.

Donald R. Michael, 21, of Clearwater believed to have been driver of ill-fated car.

Duard Haake, 21, of Clearwater . . . a passenger.

Kenneth Hoefs, 20, of Fremont . . . also a passenger.