HURT WHEN TROLLEY CAR JUMPS TRACK
John Funk and Motorman Carter, of Milltown, Have Miraculous Escapes in a Peculiar Accident at Berdine’s Corner, Scene of Fatal Accident – Passenger Caught in Wreck
In exactly the same spot, and in very much the same manner, where Edward McKeon, a trolley conductor, of this city, met his death a year ago. John Funk, of Milltown, a bookkeeper at the plant of the Enameled Brick and Tile Company at South River, received Injuries at 1:20 this morning, when a trolley car on which he was a passenger, left the tracks at Berdine’s Corner, while going at high speed, and crashed into a telegraph pole.
Funk’s Injuries are not serious, and consist of an injury to the leg. and severe bruises about the body He had a miraculous escape from death or serious injury. As did Motorman Carter of the car.
Carter is a resident of keyport, but boards at Milltown. He has been motorman but short time. The car which came to grief at the corner which has been the scene of several accidents, left here at 1 o’clock. As is the custom the car was speeding on the George’s Road track. Motor man Carter says that he applied the brakes before coming to the turn, and that they refused to work. though they had been working well previously. The car jumped the track, and a few second later the body of the car left the trucks, and crushed sideways into a telegraph pole. The car fell and the pole smashed in the top of the car. At the time of the incident Funk was talking to Conductor Channatti. and he was sitting well toward the front of the car. Had he been in t the center or the rear, he would probably have been badly injured or killed.
The car was a complete wreck, and Funk was compelled to crawl out of the wreckage. Motorman Carter stuck to his port, and he also had to fight his way out. He kicked out the front windows of the vestibule, and crawled out. The conductor escaped injury.
Over a year ago an early morning car left the tracks at the same turn, and conductor Mckeon was almost instantly killed. That time there were no passengers on the car. This morning Funk was the only passenger.