TRUCK KILLS NAPPANEE GIRL AND BROTHER, 4
CHILDREN STRUCK AS THEY WALK TO FATHER’S FILLING STATION; GARY
DRIVER ORDERED HELD
Two children were struck and killed by a truck on U. S. highway 6, within a few yards of
their home four miles east of Nappanee, Thursday.
The victims are Ruth Frazier, 7. and her brother, Cecil. 4. They were the children of Mr.
and Mrs. Cleo Frazier.
The accident occurred as the children, hand in hand, were walking down the road from
their home to the gasoline filling station which their father operates.
Donald Austraw, 34, of Gary, driver of the truck which killed the children, was held by
Sheriff Mearl Forry, pending an inquest Friday.
Austraw told authorities he was driving west of the highway when he saw the children at
the right side of the road.
He said:
“I sounded my horn and swerved to the left. The children also ran to the left and I
swerved to the right. They seemed paralyzed with fear and ran into the path of my
truck.”
The bodies of the children were hurled from the roadway. Both were killed instantly.
There were no witnesses to the accident, but police expressed the belief that Austraw was
driving at a high speed.
May 25, 1933