Bristow News
Bristow, Creek County, Oklahoma

April 1945

MOTORCYCLE DEATH

Eddie Smith, Traffic Officer in California, Killed

Family is Notified Here Eddie Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claud (sic) Smith, was killed Sunday at Salinas, Calif., in a traffic accident. He was a traffic officer and was riding his motorcycle when the accident happened that caused his death. Efforts to ascertain details were futile.

The family contacted the officers of California, who were vague in their reports. Family of the officer insisted no publicity be given of the man's death because of brothers in the Army who would be shocked if they read it in the newspapers.

The family said plans were being made to bring the body to Bristow for burial, but no details were available.  [He died 04-01-1945]

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Bristow News
Bristow, Creek County, Oklahoma

Thursday, April 12, 1945

HOW EDDIE SMITH DIED CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC WRECK

Traffic Officer Eddie C. Smith, 29, Salinas, Calif., son of Mr. and Mrs. Claud Smith of Bristow "came to his death due to injuries received in a collision between an automobile and the motorcycle he was riding," a coroner's jury reported after an investigation of the accident. The death of the traffic officer was reported in the Record last week, but many of the details were missing pending a report from Salinas.

Smith was killed on the night of April 1 when his motorcycle crashed into the side of an automobile driven by Mrs. Pauline Looney of Salinas. Four women in the automobile were injured in the accident. The coroner had an eyewitness account of the accident who testified as to the details. According to the testimony Officer Smith had been out in the country to get a mechanic to do some work on his motorcycle, and returning: the accident occurred.

Mrs. Looney, it was told, made a turn in front of the motorcycle. Smith, the witness said, seemed to be confused and attempted to avoid the accident, but ran into the side of the automobile. He was killed instantly.

Smith was born in Oklahoma September 27, 1914. He had been a resident of Salinas for six years. Two years previous he lived at Paso Robles where he was employed by the Elks club. He joined the Salinas police department in September of 1943.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ruby Cleo Smith, and two children, Billy Dan, 8, and Eddie Lea, 5. Surviving also are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Claud (sic) Smith, Bristow, Okla.; four brothers, Earl with the U. S. Army in France; Emerson and Ernest with the Army in the South Pacific, and Joe with the U. S. Navy in the South Pacific. Two sisters, Mrs. Edith Sanders and Miss Theda Smith.

NOTE: Claud should be spelled Claude

10-2004 Family Researcher: [an error occurred while processing this directive]