Youth, Girl Killed In Two Smashups
Youth, Girl Killed In Two Smashups
A Bridgewater Township youth, 20, and a five-year-old Ypsilanti Township girl were killed instantly this morning in separate traffic accidents.
Garry Louis Rathke of 12285 Fisk Rd. was killed instantly when his car, westbound US-12, ’’drifted across the center line and smashed head-on into a van truck. The driver of the truck, Charles W. Cart, 30, of 2564 Hawks Ave., Pittsfield, Township, was reported in critical condition at University Hospital late this morning.
Sheriff’s deputies said five-year-old Rae Ann Rose of 6100 Whittaker Rd., Ypsilanti Township, was killed instantly when she darted into the path of a car near her home as she ran to catch her school bus.
In the Rathke death, sheriff’s men said the accident may have been caused by Rathke leaning over to adjust his car’s radio or to light a cigarette. Witnesses told deputies Rath-ke’s vehicle, a 1966-model, seemed to “drift” across the center line of US-12 (W. Michigan Ave.) east of Campbell Rd. in Pittsfield Township. The car veered into the path of a small van which was westbound on US-12. The collision which resulted demolished both vehicles and killed Rathke instantly.
His body was pinned inside the wrecked car but deputies freed it in shart time.
The Rose girl died instantly when she was hit by a car, northbound on Whittaker Rd. at Textile Rd., driven by Eunice Bunton, 43, of 7498 Whittaker Rd. Deputies said the girl had emerged from her house moments before the fatal accident. They said she apparently paused momentarily at the edge of the road and then darted across the road in an attempt to reach a spot where she normally waited for her school bus.
Mrs. Bunton told deputies she saw the child run into the road and attempted to pull over into the southbound lane of traffic but was prevented from doing so because of an approaching truck. The impact inflicted fatal head and internal injuries on the girl, deputies said.
The two deaths boost the traffic fatality total for Washtenaw County in 1968 to 59. At this time last year there had been 43 persons killed in highway accidents with a final figure for 1967 at 50.
Bridgewater Youth Died Here
Gary L. Rathke of Bridgewater Township, driver of the car at right, was killed instantly this morning when his car hit the went over the center dividing line and hit the his car hit the truck at the left. Sheriff’s men said Rathke’s car went over the center dividing line and hit the truck. The driver of the truck was reported in critical condition,
(Ann Arbor News photo by Cecil Lockard)