Lancaster, Los Angeles, California, USA
1940 - 4 AIR OFFICERS, SCHOOL BOY DIE; TWELVE ESCAPE.

Lancaster, Cal., Dec. 7 - (I.P.) - The toll of a collision between a school bus and an army station wagon rose to five today with the death in Community hospital of 14-year-old HOWARD McCALEB.

Young McCALEB was the first to die of 12 students involved in the accident. The four other victims were inspectors attached to the army air corps at Riverside, Cal., and an enlisted army man. Two students are seriously injured.

Girl Summons Help.

It was HOWARD McCALEB'S elder sister, ALVERDA, who crawled from the wreckage, thumbed a ride and summoned help for the injured.

The crash occurred on a desert highway northwest of Los Angeles as the inspectors were returning to March Field, Cal., from a trip to Muroc Field. Eye witnesses said the station was travelling "60 or 70 miles an hour," deputy sheriffs reported.

Also killed were:
EDWIN OSMOND, 48, Riverside, Cal., inspector.
NEEL URLING, 49, Riverside, Cal., inspector.
CLIFFORD NOYES, Crestline, Cal., inspector.
WILLIAM GRANT SEARTH, 19, enlisted army man, who was driving the station wagon.

Both Overturned.

Both machines overturned after the army vehicle crashed into the side of the bus near the driver's seat, as they met at an intersection. The station wagon rolled end over end for about 40 feet, finally stopping on its top.

The bus was carrying students to their homes from Antelope Valley Union High school. When it left the school there were some 30 children riding, but most of them had been dropped off before the accident occurred. There were 12 remaining occupants, all injured, two seriously.

The Times
San Mateo, California
December 7, 1940

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