Loomis, Wesley C., Lauren, Barbara J.

Utica Daily Press
July 29, 1957

Sylvan Beach - Six area young people died violently in a blazing head-on collison near here early Sunday morning.

A seventh person, a 19 year old girl, was in critical condition last night at Oneida City Hosptial.

Four of the bodies were charred so badly in the flames that relatives were able to identify them only from pieces of jewelry and bits of clothing.

The dead included three members of one family, two brothers and a sister.

The dead are: Lynden Vredenburg, 26, Oriskany; Wesley Loomis, 25, Oneida Castle; Lauren Loomis, 20, Blossvale; Barbara Loomis, 17, Blossvale, Mrs. Doris Stoner Damore, 24, of 226 West Elm Street, Oneida; Danny Danielski, 20, McConnellsville.

Critically injured was the only survivor of the crash, Mrs. Mary Stoner, 19, sister of Mrs. Damore, and also a resident of the Elm Street address. Her injuries include fractures of both legs, hip, left arm and wrist and severe shock.

The crash, which set both cars afire, occurred in Route 49 just south of the Route 13 intersection at North Bay about 2:25 Sunday morning.

The toll was reported to be the highest in a single crash since six died in 1937 in Route 26 at West Branch. The crash brought the total number of auto accident fatalities to 32 in Oneida County this year.

State Police Cpl. Fred Fessinger, Sylvan Beach substation, who investigated, said the accident occurred as Vredenburg, who was alone in his auto, rounded a slight right curve and veered into the left hand traffic lane in to the path of the east-bound car operated by Wesley Loomis.

Both of the cars demolished in the tragedy were 1957 models. Vredenburg was driving a new convertible, while Loomis, a salesman for Delta Chevrolet, Rome, was driving a sedan.

State Police said the car apparently driven by Wesley Loomis was carrying the six young people en route to their homes after spendin the evening at Sylvan Beach.

Lauren Loomis, one of the three pulled from the wreckage, was discharged from the Army only last month. State Police said it was believed he died between the accident scene and the Oneida Hospital, about 16 miles to the south.