“Three Separate Accidents Kills Three Weber County Residents.” The Ogden Standard-Examiner, November 23, 1947, Morning Edition: 1. Newspapers.com. Web. Accessed March 16, 2016.
On 22 November 1947, Darrell Skeen Peterson tragically died.
I currently live nearby a very active train line in Indiana. When I was working on transcribing death certificates from this area from the early to mid 1900’s, I was quite surprised by how many deaths were from the trains especially because of how different that is now. Such a sad story! Only 14!
It does seem like it was a fairly common type of accidental death. Our safety standards have certainly improved. I have two other train deaths that I know of in my family. Each one was tragic and so different.
Oh, this is painful to read. How awful. It gives me the chills to think about that scene. His parents must have been devastated. One question: was it legal to drive at fourteen in Utah back then? I know some states had and still have lower driving ages, but at least in the East today, you can’t drive alone in a car until you have an adult license—usually at 17 IF you’ve had driver’s education. I wonder what the law was back then and if accidents like this one led to any changes.
Wow. Didn’t see that coming, I knew there would be an early demise, but assumed it would be related to his “heart ailment.” Sadly I saw a train/car accident less than five minutes after it happened. I was very young, preschool, maybe kdg. Family had been grocery shopping so food everywhere along with personal items of the children: a ball, a doll that flew out on impact. The car was so mangled it was hard to even tell the color. Left a huge impression on me and to this day, still check for trains at least twice at railroad crossings. I have great empathy for his family, a bright young life snuffed out way too early.
Oh, that is terrible! I’m sorry you had to see that. I once witnessed a child being hit by a car. I was 16 or 17 and my sister and I were the only witnesses. It was very traumatic for us even though the boy lived. Your train accident sounds so much worse.
I currently live nearby a very active train line in Indiana. When I was working on transcribing death certificates from this area from the early to mid 1900’s, I was quite surprised by how many deaths were from the trains especially because of how different that is now. Such a sad story! Only 14!
It does seem like it was a fairly common type of accidental death. Our safety standards have certainly improved. I have two other train deaths that I know of in my family. Each one was tragic and so different.
Oh, this is painful to read. How awful. It gives me the chills to think about that scene. His parents must have been devastated. One question: was it legal to drive at fourteen in Utah back then? I know some states had and still have lower driving ages, but at least in the East today, you can’t drive alone in a car until you have an adult license—usually at 17 IF you’ve had driver’s education. I wonder what the law was back then and if accidents like this one led to any changes.
Great question Amy. I don’t know what the law was, but a future post will explain why he was driving at 14.
Ah, now you have me in suspense again! 🙂
😉 Hang in there, it will take a few days to get your answer.
I will!
Wow. Didn’t see that coming, I knew there would be an early demise, but assumed it would be related to his “heart ailment.” Sadly I saw a train/car accident less than five minutes after it happened. I was very young, preschool, maybe kdg. Family had been grocery shopping so food everywhere along with personal items of the children: a ball, a doll that flew out on impact. The car was so mangled it was hard to even tell the color. Left a huge impression on me and to this day, still check for trains at least twice at railroad crossings. I have great empathy for his family, a bright young life snuffed out way too early.
Oh, that is terrible! I’m sorry you had to see that. I once witnessed a child being hit by a car. I was 16 or 17 and my sister and I were the only witnesses. It was very traumatic for us even though the boy lived. Your train accident sounds so much worse.