DEATH CURVE
An early Cameron Highway curve that was known to be very dangerous. It was the scene of many fatal traffic accidents over the years until its route was changed and the curve was made safer. Quite famous in its day the area and its reputation is now almost unknown to local residents. Below is a photo of the Death Curve in 1934 followed by recent photos of what the location looked like recently. A reprint of a newspaper article is included at the end.
An early Cameron Highway curve that was known to be very dangerous. It was the scene of many fatal traffic accidents over the years until its route was changed and the curve was made safer. Quite famous in its day the area and its reputation is now almost unknown to local residents. Below is a photo of the Death Curve in 1934 followed by recent photos of what the location looked like recently. A reprint of a newspaper article is included at the end.
DAILY EDITION CHILLICOTHE, MO., MONDAY, AUG. 27, 1934
The body of Mrs. Hazel Harrison, 39-year-old nurse, who was killed in an automobile accident; at a curve in the south city limits of Cameron Saturday afternoon, was taken to Webb City Sunday afternoon, the body, which had been at the Poland mortuary at Cameron, being claimed by her brother. While no word had been received here regarding the funeral, it probably was held today.
Mrs. Harrison, whose home was at 1104 Armour Blvd., Kansas City, had been a nurse in the Joseph Wallbrunn home, 820 Washington street for several months. Saturday shortly after one o'clock Mrs. Harrison left Chillicothe in Mrs. Wallbrunn's car for a pleasure trip to Kansas City. At Cameron she picked up two Iowa State College students, Vincent Allison, 22, of Osceola, Mo., and Robert Kelley, 19, of Lamoni, la. who were hitch-hiking to Independence Mo., for a visit with Kelley's uncle. As Mrs. Harrison was rounding the "S" curve at the south end of Walnut street in Cameron on Highway No. 69, the rear of the car struck a truck traveling in the opposite direction. The force of the impact threw Mrs. Harrison and the two youths from the car, killing Mrs. Harrison and Allison. Kelley was at first believed fatally injured, but an examination showed his injuries were not as bad as first believed. He will recover.
Kelley. who was in the rear of the car by himself, was bending over placing some bags on the floor of the car when the collision occurred, which is believed prevented him from being killed. The Wallbrunn car was demolished.
Harry Tryori, driver of the truck, and two companions were also in The truck was loaded with Miss Opal Watkins, a niece of Hobart, Rolla and George Click of this city,- who has spent the summer in Dawn with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Watkins, left Saturday for Dexter, Kansas, where she will teach art and home economics in the high school during the coming term. Miss Watkins, a graduate of the Dawn high school, was an honor graduate last year at Southwestern College at Winfield, Kansas. Before entering Southwestern she studied two years at the old Kidder College.
Mrs. Harrison was the daughter of Mrs. Edith Shilling, Diamond, Mo.
Shortly after this wreck another one occurred directly south of the curve when three men from Kansas City enroute to Mystic, la., were injured. The driver of the car is believed to have been looking at the previous wreck when he lost control of his car, which went into a ditch, through a fence and overturned in a pasture. The "S" curve in the south city limits of Cameron is considered one of the most dangerous curves between Chillicothe and Kansas City. The curve is not well banked and with another car on the curve it is Impossible to make the curve at a very high rate of speed.
The body of Mrs. Hazel Harrison, 39-year-old nurse, who was killed in an automobile accident; at a curve in the south city limits of Cameron Saturday afternoon, was taken to Webb City Sunday afternoon, the body, which had been at the Poland mortuary at Cameron, being claimed by her brother. While no word had been received here regarding the funeral, it probably was held today.
Mrs. Harrison, whose home was at 1104 Armour Blvd., Kansas City, had been a nurse in the Joseph Wallbrunn home, 820 Washington street for several months. Saturday shortly after one o'clock Mrs. Harrison left Chillicothe in Mrs. Wallbrunn's car for a pleasure trip to Kansas City. At Cameron she picked up two Iowa State College students, Vincent Allison, 22, of Osceola, Mo., and Robert Kelley, 19, of Lamoni, la. who were hitch-hiking to Independence Mo., for a visit with Kelley's uncle. As Mrs. Harrison was rounding the "S" curve at the south end of Walnut street in Cameron on Highway No. 69, the rear of the car struck a truck traveling in the opposite direction. The force of the impact threw Mrs. Harrison and the two youths from the car, killing Mrs. Harrison and Allison. Kelley was at first believed fatally injured, but an examination showed his injuries were not as bad as first believed. He will recover.
Kelley. who was in the rear of the car by himself, was bending over placing some bags on the floor of the car when the collision occurred, which is believed prevented him from being killed. The Wallbrunn car was demolished.
Harry Tryori, driver of the truck, and two companions were also in The truck was loaded with Miss Opal Watkins, a niece of Hobart, Rolla and George Click of this city,- who has spent the summer in Dawn with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Watkins, left Saturday for Dexter, Kansas, where she will teach art and home economics in the high school during the coming term. Miss Watkins, a graduate of the Dawn high school, was an honor graduate last year at Southwestern College at Winfield, Kansas. Before entering Southwestern she studied two years at the old Kidder College.
Mrs. Harrison was the daughter of Mrs. Edith Shilling, Diamond, Mo.
Shortly after this wreck another one occurred directly south of the curve when three men from Kansas City enroute to Mystic, la., were injured. The driver of the car is believed to have been looking at the previous wreck when he lost control of his car, which went into a ditch, through a fence and overturned in a pasture. The "S" curve in the south city limits of Cameron is considered one of the most dangerous curves between Chillicothe and Kansas City. The curve is not well banked and with another car on the curve it is Impossible to make the curve at a very high rate of speed.