The Payette Independent
Thursday, June 27, 1929
ANOTHER WRECK ON OREGON SLOPE
JOHN J. SMITH, PORTLAND FOUNDRY MAN MEETS DEATH AS AUTOMOBILE TURNS TURTLE ON HIGHWAY
Another of those automobile tragedies occurred on the Payette-Oregon slope about 9:30 o'clock Friday morning. John J. Smith, a Portland foundryman, and his wife and 11 year old daughter were transferring from Portland to Salt Lake City where he was to assume a position with the same company he had been working for. Mrs. Smith was driving the car, and when about a quarter of a mile west of the turn on the hill above the pumping station the car started to skid. Mr. Smith grabbed for the steering wheel and his wife evidently suddenly applied the brake with the result that the car careened and turned turtle, pinning Mr. Smith under it and injuring the daughter.
John Howard, who lives near the place where the accident occurred, went to their assistance and others soon arrived on the scene. The car, which had not left the road, was uprighted and the injured man and his daughter were rushed to the Ontario hospital, where he died about noon. The daughter's injuries were treated and she was found not to be badly hurt, while Mrs. Smith escaped uninjured.
Funeral services were held for Mr. Smith Sunday and he was buried in the Catholic cemetery at that place. The mother and daughter, who were left with only $50.00 to their name left the first of this week for Spokane where they have relatives. The car was a complete wreck and was not worth salvaging. They carried no insurance on it, and an accident policy carried by Mr. Smith had elapsed only two or three weeks before.