The story as we get it is that a car from Hammond, in which Verne Korlin, the driver, and four other passengers, Herman Korlin, Carrie Bassow, Fred Bassow, and Alma Johnson were driving on the wrong side of the road at the place where the accident took place and a truck owned by Jake Hillman, of Lowell, and driven by John Graves, of Belshaw, went to pass on the wrong side, when it seems that the driver of the car realized he was on the wrong side of the road and pulled over directly in the path of the truck. The cars came together. The impact of the truck hitting the car punctured the gasoline tank and the gas caught on fire and in a moment the car was on fire.
Herman Korlin was badly burned and only lived a short time as he had passed away when they got to Lowell with him. One of the other passengers, Carrie Bassow, was badly burned and was taken to the hospital, and the latest word received is that she is in a very serious condition. Fred Bassow was burned but not seriously. The other passengers were unhurt.
Byrl Fish who was riding in the truck with Graves had a bad scalp wound and it was necessary to take several stitches in his head.
It is reported that Graves left the scene of the accident but on Sunday night he came into Lowell and gave himself up to Marshal Buckley and he was taken to the county jail at Crown Point, where he will remain until charges are preferred or the case dismissed. From what we can learn it is hard to tell who was responsible for the accident.
One of the daily papers in the north end of the county is writing up the case, said that Mr. Hillman was driving the truck and that he was a fugitive, which is not true, as Mr. Hillman had nothing to do with the tragic affair further than owning the truck and Graves, who works for Hillman had the truck out on the road and was not on any business connected with Mr. Hillman at the time.
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