Sources in Chronological Order

–16 The Progress, Clearfield, PA. “16 Farm Laborers Die in Fiery Arizona Crash.” 6-8-1959, 1

–16 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Crash Kills 16 Here.” 6-9-1959, p. 3.

–16 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Protect Them.” 6-10-1959, p. 12.

–16 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Mexican Official Urges Laws in Wake of Crash.” 6-11-1959.

–17 Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “New Victim Adds to Toll of Bus Crash.” 6-15-1959, 3.

–17 Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “$2 Million Lawsuits Filed in Bus Deaths.” 6-17-1959, 11.

–17 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Bracero Files $750,000 Damage Suit for Crash.” 6-23-1959, 4

–17 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Fiery State Crash Tightens Up Rules.” 6-26-1959, p. 2.

–17 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “$600,000 Sought in Crash Suits.” 6-30-1959, p. 30.

–17 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Blamed for Bus Deaths.” 8-6-1959, p. 16.

–17 Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Testimony Ends in Phoenix Bus Crash Litigation.” 10-4-1959, 10.

–17 Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “$4.6 Million Suit Filed in Truck Crash.” 3-2-1960, p. 4.

–17 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Truck Driver Opens Trail…Braceros’ Damage…” 3-22-1960.

–17 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Negligence Blamed in Bracero Crash.” 3-24-1960, p. 26.

–17 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Ruled in Truck Deaths.” 3-25-1960, p. 24.

–17 Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Jury Decides Families of 17…be Awarded Damages.” 3-29-1960, 6.

–17 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “46 ‘Bracero Suits’ Settled.” 6-9-1960, p. 1.

–17 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Safety Rules Tightened by Bus Crash.” 6-17-1960, p. 16.

–17 Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Manslaughter Charges Dropped Against 2 Drivers.” 6-30-1960, 11.

–16 Quarterly of the NFPA. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1959.” Vol. 53, July 1960, p. 30.

Narrative Information

June 8: “Phoenix, Ariz. (AP) – Sixteen farm laborers were killed and 32 others were injured when a crudely fashioned bus crashed into a tree and exploded near Phoenix today. The highway patrol, which had difficulty determining the number of charred and cremated bodies in the twisted wreckage, listed these figures as official but said there may be more dead. All the victims were Mexican nationals.

“Many of the injured were reported in serious condition with buns and broken bones. The patrol quoted the driver, Nato Manuel Gloria Jr., as saying he ‘dozed at the wheel’. Gloria said he had been feeling sleepy and was going to stop at an intersection 100 yards ahead to turn the driving over to his assistant. The driver escaped serious injury.

“The workers were enroute from a labor office at Mesa, Ariz., to garlic fields at Tolleson, west of Phoenix. The truck, which had been converted into a bus with sides and a top, left a main suburban thoroughfare just south of the Phoenix city limits, plowed through a ditch and smashed into a tree.

“Patrolmen said the head-on crash burst the vehicle’s fuel line and caused an explosion. Elmer Charbeneau, who lives near the scene, said an explosion awakened him. “It sounded like a loud clap of thunder,’ he said. “I ran to the window and saw flames spread over the entire bed of the bus. Then I heard screaming. By the time I got there, most of those who could get out were wandering in a nearby field or were stretched out in the ditch.”

“The converted truck had only one exit, a single door at the rear.

“Those who escaped appeared to be in a state of shock. They wandered about the field aimlessly. Two survivors told of the scramble to get out the only door, and how the laborers had to fight their way around a big water barrel and a pile of suitcases….” (The Progress, Clearfield, PA. “16 Farm Laborers Die in Fiery Arizona Crash.” 6-8-1959, 1.)

June 9: “A sleepy relief driver gave Arizona its worst single-vehicle traffic death toll early yesterday. The regular driver and 15 Mexican field workers burned to death when the converted truck-bus left the pavement and struck a tree at 122 E. Baseline about 4:30 a.m.

“In Washington, James P. Mitchell, secretary of labor, ordered ‘an immediate, complete investigation.’ Mitchell said he wanted to determine if any regulations concerning the welfare of Mexican farm workers had been violated.

“The American relief driver, and 31 Mexican nationals were injured or burned, 10 critically. ‘I felt sleepy,’ Nato Manuel Gloria Jr., 20, of 2701 W. Main, Mesa, told County Attorney Charles Stidham and State Patrolmen H. R. Turnbow and D. J. Phillips. ‘I kept falling asleep and waking up. I tried to make it to Central Avenue. I said to myself, If I get to Central, I’ll top and wash my face.’ Central was less than 1½ blocks ahead.

“Gloria explained that he couldn’t safely stop the bus to throw water on his face because the single lane of pavement available to him was closely bordered by a ditch. With the regular driver, Tony Guerrero, 30, of 2133 E. Howe, Tempe, asleep at his side and 46 sleeping or drowsy workmen in the canvas-clad back of the truck, Gloria dozed at the wheel. The vehicle veered from the pavement, crossed an irrigation ditch, struck the tree, and burst into flames.

“All of the dead were victims of the fire and none had sufficient other injuries to cause death, said Dr. Daniel J. Condon, county medical examiner.

“Gloria said he was stunned a moment by the crash into a large cottonwood tree and then saw flames licking from the truck’s hood.

“Best guess of investigators was that the gas line under the hood broke and a spark touched off the fire. Investigators also surmise that a connection broke near a 35-gallon auxiliary gas tank directly behind the truck cab in the passenger part of the make-shift bus. It ‘burned like a blowtorch’ to become a horrible pyre for 15 men apparently tossed unconscious onto the tank by the impact, investigators said.

“The regular driver, Guerrero, was trapped in the cab and died despite Gloria’s efforts to free him.

“Fire, fed by gas from the truck’s regular and auxiliary tanks, virtually destroyed the truck in spite of efforts of neighbors and firemen to extinguish it….

“Gloria was booked in the county jail on suspicion of manslaughter. By a quirk of fate that sometimes accompanies mass tragedy, he was the least hurt. He was bruised and sprained.

“He announced himself mystified about his sleepiness and said he had gotten some eight or nine hours of sleep before arising at 2:15 a.m. to go to work. He had taken over the wheel from the regular driver at Rural Road and Baseline, some 5 miles east of the accident scene. Guerrero also had complained of unexpected drowsiness and almost immediately fell asleep, Gloria said.

“Gloria’s story gave rise to speculation over the possibility that carbon monoxide fumes many have been leaking into the truck’s cab. The vehicle was so badly burned that this may never be established.

“Highway patrolmen said Gloria had a chauffeur’s license. He said he had been driving since he was 14 without an accident or a citation.

“He said he had for 11 months been relief driver in hauling field workers for the Garin Co., of Salinas, Calif., in whose name the truck was registered. The workmen in the truck were being taken from the Mesa area to onion fields near Tolleson.

“Gloria said he was traveling about 45 mph when he fell asleep. Patrolmen said physical evidence at the scene indicated that could be so. The speed limit there is 50 mph.

“The spectacular, fiery crash turned the usually quiet rural area of Baseline Road into bedlam. Every available Phoenix ambulance was rushed to the scene as well as all highway patrol and sheriff’s units in this area.

“Gloria discovered, he said, that a 50-gallon water drum roped to the rear and one side of the truck had broken partly loose and swung into the back entry, blocking it. ‘They (the passengers) were all jammed up against it, screaming and hollering,’ he said. He pulled the metal barrel aside and the workmen spewed out, some burned and others bloody. Some crawled out, their clothes afire. Gloria said he helped others out and threw dirt on them to put out the fire.

“Among the first arrivals at the scene were Mr. and Mrs. William Burris, residents where the crash occurred. Burris, an off-duty fireman, tried to put out the fire with a garden hose. Mrs. Burris, a hospital technician, aided the injured.

“Some of the painfully burned kept asking for suitcases in which they carried their accumulated earnings since arriving from Mexico about 15 days ago. One, his chest and back a mass of burns, said his money had burned inside the shirt he was wearing.

“The injured taxed the entire emergency room facilities at Memorial Hospital, where all were taken. Extra hospital nurses and doctors were called on duty to handle the treatment.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Crash Kills 16 Here.” 6-9-1959, p. 3.)

June 10: “….Why did this tragedy occur? A man went to sleep at the wheel of a car. Even so, had the bus he was driving been designed with the safety of passengers in mind some, if not all, of those who died might have escaped unscathed. Why wasn’t the bus designed with safety in mind? Because there are no Arizona laws or regulations covering such means of transportation.

“According to Charles Pemberton, supervisor of the traffic safety division of the Arizona State Highway Department, men who contract to carry laborers to the fields “can haul any number they want by any method they choose.”

“Doubtless you have seen buses, trucks, cars — almost everything on wheels — carrying these farm workers to or from their jobs. The workers are crammed, jammed, and stuffed into the vehicle in such a fashion that if anything happened — as it did in this case — literally none of the riders have half a chance of escaping unharmed.

“If Arizona is going to permit braceros – Mexican nationals who hire out as farm workers — to be brought here to work, it is Arizona’s obligation to protect these men. They should be afforded the same protection given a citizen who rides a bus. There should be ample exits, windows large enough to escape through, and the exits should always be kept clear. The vehicles should be subject to inspection and licensing for the purpose for which they are used.

“It is all very well to say that these people don’t care about comfort and have never been used to it. The comfort isn’t too vital. But these workers are in the United States of America where people are given protection — where they have a right to protection. And whether these people are or aren’t citizens makes no difference. They should be protected, too. It should be a prime duty of the next session of the legislature to create regulations covering transportation of people by contract. It should be the duty of the legislature to do its best to see that never does such a tragedy happens in Arizona again.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ. “Protect Them.” 6-10-1959, 12.)

June 11: “A Mexican official yesterday called for new Arizona laws as a result of the fiery truck crash here early Monday.

“And sixteen misdemeanor manslaughter counts were filed against the young driver of a truck converted into a bus that crashed into a tree on the southside, killing 16 and injuring the driver and 31 others. All but two were Mexican nationals brought here for field work.

“The Superior court complaint charges Nato M. Gloria Jr., 20, Mesa. Each count carries a maximum of a year in jail. Gloria was released on $1,000 bond.

“Eugenio V. Pasqueira of the Los Angeles Mexican consulate asked for legislation to give greater safety during transportation of his countrymen. He called on Governor Fannin. The governor said he will offer the next legislature specific recommendations to strengthen the state’s whole safety program. But he didn’t elaborate. Arizona apparently has no laws governing safety of Mexican nationals without charge during transportation by their employers, other than ordinary laws regulating safety of private vehicles.

“Such regulations are contained in working agreements between the U.S. and Mexican governments and private employers. But agencies involved in such agreements still were investigating the crash yesterday. And no one has said that the truck that smashed into the tree was unsafe for its purpose or that the result wouldn’t have been the same with any regular gasoline-burning bus.

“Highway patrolmen blamed the crash on the driver going to sleep. They found no evidence of speed or drinking. The gasoline line under the hood broke and started the fire. Two fuel tanks fed it.

“Mrs. Julieta Maldonado, acting Mexican consul here, asked that any plans for collecting funds for the families of the victims be abandoned and that donations be returned to the givers. ‘The victims are covered by insurance and our government will take care of them,’ she said. She said an occupational insurance policy paid by their employer will give their families $4,000 each and provide $350 each for burial. Each man also had a $1,000 personal policy, she said.

“The state industrial commission said it had no claim resulting from the death of the regular truck driver, Tony Gurrero, 31, Tempe, but that his widow would get 66% per cent of his average wages. Gurrero had been relieved by Gloria because he, too, was sleepy.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Mexican Official Urges Laws in Wake of Crash.” 6-11-1959.)

June 15: “Phoenix (AP) – The death toll of a fiery bus crash near Phoenix last Monday now stands at 17. Alfonso Parra, 21, of Telushancan, Nayarit, Mexico, died in a phoenix hospital Saturday of burns suffered in the crash.” (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “New Victim Adds to Toll of Bus Crash.” 6-15-1959, p. 3.)

June 17: “Phoenix (AP) — Lawsuits seeking more than two million dollars in damages as a result of a fiery bus crash that claimed 17 lives near Phoenix last week were to be filed in federal court in Phoenix today. Filing the multiple suits was Val A. Cordova, member of a Phoenix law firm and a consultant for the Mexican Consulate. Named defendants were Nato Manuel Gloria Jr., 20, substitute driver of the truck-bus, and the Garin Co. of Salinas, Calif., to which the vehicle was registered. Cordova stressed that the suits are being filed for the heirs of the dead and families of the 31 injured. The suits will average $15,000 each for the dead, he said, and $10,000 to $50,000 for the injured.

“Sixteen men, all but one a Mexican national, were killed when the makeshift bus veered off the road and plowed into a tree. Another died of burns several days later. Cordova said he is not representing the American citizen.

“Meanwhile, the Interstate Commerce Commission said in Washington it lacks jurisdiction to conduct an inquiry into an accident. The ICC noted that a 1956 law authorizing ICC to prescribe the rules for transporting migrant agricultural workers limited the federal authority to trips totaling more than 75 miles and involving the crossing of a state line. The wrecked bus was traveling less than 45 miles and the trip was wholly within Arizona.

“The Farm Placement Service of the Labor Department’s Bureau of Employment Security conducted a separate inquiry into the accident to determine whether instructions relating to the transportation of Mexican farm workers from reception centers to place of employment had been violated.” (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “$2 Million Lawsuits Filed in Bus Deaths.” 6-17-1959, p. 11.)

June 23: “San Francisco (AP) – A $750,000 damage suit was filed in U.S. District Court here yesterday as a result of the recent bus crash in Arizona….It accuses the produce company of keeping its Mexican national field workers ‘in a subhuman state as to conditions of living and transportation to work.’

“The converted, truck-bus crashed into a tree near Phoenix June 8, killing the 16 Mexicans and an American and injuring 31 Mexicans. The complaint alleges that the company used a converted truck without means of ingress or egress once it began to move, and that the accident resulted from wanton and negligent driving.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Bracero Files $750,000 Damage Suit for Crash.” 6-23-1959, p. 4.)

June 26: “Washington – (AP) – The U.S. government today ordered stricter safety rules for transportation of Mexican and other farm workers in the United States. The order came three weeks after 17 Mexican workers were burned to death when a heavily loaded makeshift bus hit a tree and burst into flames near Phoenix, Ariz. Thirty-two others were injured, three seriously.

“The federal connection with the case arises in part from the fact that Mexican nationals are hired for farm work under a U.S.-Mexican migrant labor agreement. The vehicle was a converted truck with canvas sides and no windows. Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell began an immediate investigation of the accident which he described as ‘a grim example of the consequences of failure to provide, for all our farm workers as well as those imported, the conditions of work and transportation that conscience demands.’

“Announcing the new regulations, Mitchell said transportation is covered inadequately by some state laws. Copies of the new requirements, effective at once, have been sent to regional directors of the Bureau of Employment Security. Short-haul movement of workers from placement centers to places of employment already is under safety requirements, applicable to common carriers, but additional protective measures are provided in today’s order. For example, employers now are made responsible for the safe transportation of Mexican workers while they are on the job. The department announcement said the employers also must see to it that only competent and qualified persons drive vehicles, that transportation equipment must meet reasonable safety standards and that proper precautions must be taken to safeguard workers on the way to and from their jobs.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Fiery State Crash Tightens Up Rules.” 6-26-1959, p. 2.)

June 30: “Two suits seeking more than $600,000 for the death and injury of two Mexican farm laborers June 8 were filed yesterday in U.S. District Court here….

“The widow and five children of J. Socarro Carrera Escobedo seek $250,000.

“Eluterio Quinones Damian seeks $250,000 general damages, hospital and doctor costs, and $100,000 punitive damages ‘by way of example to the defendants and others so that they will cease the practices.’ Damian alleges the defendant Garin Co, of Salinas, Calif., ‘treated plaintiff and other Mexican laborers in a subhuman state as to their conditions of transportation.’ He says 47 people were jammed in a truck ‘unfit for human transportation and unsafe to be on the highway. So crowded was it that some had to lie of the floor under benches,’ the suit charges.

“Yesterday’s two actions, expected to be followed by others, were filed by the Phoenix firm of Cordova, Goss, and Mariscal. They are working with San Francisco Attorney Melvin Belli. On June 22, Belli filed a $750,000 damage suit against the Garin Co. on behalf of another injured worker.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “$600,000 Sought in Crash Suits.” 6-30-1959, p. 30.)

Aug 6: “Phoenix – UPI — A coroner’s jury yesterday blamed the death of 17 farm workers in a flaming Phoenix truck crash in June on gross negligence and unsafe equipment. The jury, appearing with Justice of the Peace Ida Westfall, did not fix the blame on an individual. Jurors heard witnesses testify that Manuel Gloria, 20, of Mesa, the driver, admitted falling asleep before the truck hit a tree in South Phoenix and burst into flames. Other witnesses, many of them injured in the wreck, said passengers attempting to escape from the only exit at the rear of the enclosed truck may have been hampered by luggage and a water barrel. Jurors were told the flames apparently were fed by gasoline splashed on the passenger compartment from a ruptured fuel tank ….Civil lawsuits totaling $1,350.000 have been filed.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Blamed for Bus Deaths.” 8-6-1959, p. 16.)

Oct 4: “Phoenix (UPI) – Testimony ended yesterday in the injunction hearing in connection with the fiery June 8 bus crash in South Phoenix Hint killed 17 farm workers and injured 31. U. S. District Judge Dave Ling at the end of the week-long hearing gave attorneys for the plaintiffs 10 days to file briefs, the defendants’ attorneys 10 days to answer and the plaintiff five days after that to answer defendants’ briefs. He is not expected to rule for 30 to 60 days.

“Ling issued a temporary injunction last week preventing out of court settlement of damage suits resulting from the accident. The hearing this week was to determine if the injunction should be permanent.

“Attorneys Val A. Cordova of Phoenix and Melvin Belli of San Francisco have filed suits asking

$1,950,000. Defendants are the Garin Co. of California and Arizona, and the firm’s associates. It was a Garin Co. truck that hit a tree and caught fire, maiming and killing the workers. Cordova and Belli complained insurance firms representing Garin Co. were taking advantage of the injured workers and their families, all of them except one Mexican citizens unfamiliar with U. S. laws.” (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Testimony Ends in Phoenix Bus Crash Litigation.” 10-4-1959, p. 10.)

March 2, 1960: “Phoenix (AP) — A suit seeking $4,630,000 in damages was filed in U.S. District Court Tuesday as the result of a bus crash last June that killed 17 Mexican farm workers. The suit contains 18 complaints on behalf of those killed. It names as defendants the Garin Co. of California, Agricultural Commodities Inc., and Manuel N. Gloria Jr. Gloria, the driver of the bus, is waiting trial on 16 counts of manslaughter filed as a result of the wreck.” (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “$4.6 Million Suit Filed in Truck Crash.” 3-2-1960, p. 4.)

March 22, 1960: “Multimillion-dollar damage trial resulting from the deaths of 17 agricultural workers in a fiery truck crash last June 8 on E. Baseline opened yesterday before visiting Judge George H. Boldt [Tacoma, WA] in federal court here.

“Heirs of the dead and injured are seeking almost $6 million against the Garin Co. of Salinas, Calif., a produce firm with operations in the Valley; Agricultural Commodities of Phoenix, vegetable growers association, and Manual Gloria Jr., 20, of Mesa, driver of the ill-fated truck.

“On the witness stand in the afternoon, Gloria told the court he had taken over as driver after Tony Guerrero, 39, the regular driver, had been too sleepy to continue on to agricultural fields at Tolleson, the destination of the 47 braceros. He had climbed behind the wheel 10 miles east of Mesa on Baseline, he added. Gloria said he was ‘fighting sleep’ himself from Seventh Street to a point near the accident site east of Central, and that he was waiting until he reached Central ‘to wash my face with water.’ Under questioning by Melvin Belli, San Francisco attorney and counsel for the Mexican heirs, Gloria recalled that he had had ‘close shaves’ with three of four vehicles on the road. He said he remembered passing Seventh Street, but that he couldn’t pinpoint the exact time or place he finally dozed off….

“Gloria testified that after the crash he jumped out of the truck and pounded on the side of it to warn the men inside. Guerrero already was dead in the front seat, he said. Belli kept questioning Gloria on the subject of a 50-gallon water barrel at the rear of the truck, lying on its side, empty, one end protruding from the door. Gloria told the court, however, that he merely had to ‘pull the barrel out of the way’ to get to the men. He and passing truck drivers helped extinguish the burning clothing of the braceros who escaped the inferno inside the truck.

“Val A. Cordova, of the Phoenix law firm of Cordova, Goss, and Mariscal, is associated with Belli on behalf of the Mexican heirs. Mark Wilmer is counsel for the defendants. The current trial will determine liability only.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Truck Driver Opens Trail in Braceros’ Damage Suit.” 3-22-1960, p. 39.)

March 24, 1960: “In arguments before a federal court jury yesterday, counsel for the heirs of the dead and injured In a fiery truck crash last June 8 pleaded that ‘gross negligence’ was responsible ….

“Val Cordova, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, told the jury of seven women and five men that ‘Gloria is the pawn, the sacrificial lamb of the Garin Co. and Agricultural Commodities.’ ‘The master is responsible for the acts of his servant,’ said Cordova, ‘and Gloria’s father would not permit him to drive his truck on the open highway.’….

“Melvin Belli, San Francisco attorney and specialist in personal injury suits, associated with Cordova, told the jurors that ‘no safety factors were considered in construction of the makeshift bus.’ ‘When the accident happened,’ he added, ‘the men inside the truck clawed each other like animals, screaming as the fire enveloped them. They tried to burst out the single rear door with a 50-gallon water barrel and suitcases blocking their way.’ Asking the jury, ‘Would you want your loved ones to be carried in a vehicle like that?’ Belli said there was only 16 inches of room for each of the 48 persons sitting on four rows of wooden seats, ‘the space that you, the jury of 12 persons, now occupy.’

“Mark Wilmer, counsel for the companies, said ‘when the front end of the truck caught fire, windows and a front door would not have made any difference. And the water barrel was pulled out of the way within a brief time after the vehicle crashed.’ Wilmer said Gloria is a ‘fine boy; he doesn’t drink or smoke,’ and that he was legally entitled to operate the truck. (Gloria had a Class B chauffeur’s license, which the law said did not entitle him to haul passengers.)

“Fred F. Duke, of Willcox, former interviewer in Mesa for the farm labor market, testified the Garin truck ‘was an outstanding crew vehicle.’

“Other witnesses testified six of the Mexicans planned to leave for their native country the day of the accident and had piled their suitcases at the rear of the truck; others were sleeping beneath the seats.

“Judge Boldt will instruct the jurors this morning, and the case will go to the jury before noon. The current phase of the case is to determine liability for the accident. If the jury finds evidence of liability, the second phase will deal with assessment of damages.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Negligence Blamed in Bracero Crash.” 3-24-1960, p. 26.)

March 25, 1960: “Phoenix – (AP) – The Garin Co. of California has been found guilty of negligence and gross negligence in the crash of a truck last June 8 and took 17 lives and injured 31 other persons.

“A U. S. District Court jury deliberated about six hours yesterday before returning the verdict in the first phase of a series of 44 damage suits resulting from the South Phoenix accident. The jury also found Nato Manuel Gloria Jr., driver of the truck, guilty of negligence.

“The second phase of the case begins Monday with trial of a representative case of one of the dead and a representative case of one of the injured. The purpose is to determine the damages in individual cases among the 44 lawsuits filed by heirs of the dead and the injured. Nearly $6 million in damages is sought.

“Most of those involved, including 16 of the dead, were Mexican nationals brought to this country under the bracero program. They were being taken from the company camp east of Mesa to fields in the Tolleson area in a truck converted into a bus….

“The jury cleared Agricultural Commodities of any blame in the accident. The firm is a contracting organization which assigned the braceros to the Garin Co.

“The jury specifically found the company negligent and grossly negligent in the design, construction and maintenance of the truck, in permitting the 48 passengers aboard the vehicle and ‘in the selection, training and supervision’ of Gloria.

“Gloria was found negligent in continuing to drive the truck after feeling sleepy.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Ruled in Truck Deaths.” 3-25-1960, p. 24.)

March 29, 1960: “Phoenix, Ariz. (UPI) – Families of all 17 Mexican farm laborers killed in a truck accident June 8 will be awarded damages. That decision was reached last night by a U. S. court jury. The same jury reconvened today to determine whether 11 others injured in the accident will also be awarded damages against owner of the truck.

“The jury made its findings by agreeing to rule on one of the 17 death suits as representative of all 17. It will act similarly on only one of the injury suits, with finding covering all 31 such suits.

“The jury of seven women and five men Monday night ordered the truck owner, the Garin Co. of Salinas, Calif., to pay Mrs. Guadalupe de Villa, 29, of Gomez, damages. Similar awards will be made to other families of men killed based on their age and potential earnings at the time of their deaths.

“The Garin Co. last week was found negligent in allowing the truck to be used for hauling workers because of its size. The company also was found negligent in allowing Manuel Gloria Jr., to drive the truck. Gloria was unlicensed to haul workers….” (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Jury Decides Families of 17…be Awarded Damages.” 3-29-1960, p. 6.)

June 9, 1960: “Phoenix – UPI – Settlement of 46 suits resulting from a fiery truck crash that killed 16 and injured 30 was announced yesterday….Amount of the settlement was not revealed. The bus was owned by the Garin Co., a vegetable concern….” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “46 ‘Bracero Suits’ Settled.” 6-9-1960, p. 1.)

June 17, 1960: “Phoenix – UPI — A fiery bus crash that claimed the lives of 17 Mexican workers and injured 30 others has resulted in tighter safety regulation for farm contractors, according to the U. S. Department of Labor. A department spokesman termed the accident of June 8, 1959, a direct cause of the new regulations.

“A settlement of $375,000 was announced this week in suits filed because of the crash.

“Farm labor contractors henceforth will be held strictly responsible for the safety of their workers on short trips as well as long ones, the department said. The workers killed here were being transported a short distance.

“The driver of the truck, Manuel N. Gloria, Jr. of Mesa, still faces manslaughter charges in Superior court. He said he was sleepy at the time of the accident and did not have a chauffeur’s license.

“The Labor Department said the new regulations require employers to hire licensed drivers and to be sure drivers are alert. The new requirements also specify installation of grab irons or seats and be equipped to safeguard workers against falling out.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Safety Rules Tightened by Bus Crash.” 6-17-1960, p. 16.)

June 30: “Phoenix (UPI) – Two motorists accused of manslaughter, including a Mesa youth who was at the wheel when 17 farm workers were killed, were free today. Charges were dismissed for Manuel N. Gloria, Jr., 2l….The cases were dropped when the estates of the injured parties testified that proper settlement had been made. County Attorney Charles Sidham objected, but admitted the compromise had been made. Counsel for the injured, and survivors of the dead in the bus crash said his clients were satisfied with the settlement of more than $400,000 paid by an insurance received…” (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Manslaughter Charges Dropped Against 2 Drivers.” 6-30-1960, 11.)

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The Progress, Clearfield, PA. “16 Farm Laborers Die in Fiery Arizona Crash. 32 Others Injured…” 6-8-1959, 1. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=15919993

Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “46 ‘Bracero Suits’ Settled.” 6-9-1960, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=92172692

Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Fiery State Crash Tightens Up Rules.” 6-26-1959, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84913288

Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Blamed for Bus Deaths.” 8-6-1959, p. 16. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84900284

Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Negligence Ruled in Truck Deaths.” 3-25-1960, p. 24. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84910239

Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Jury Decides Families of 17 Killed in Crash to be Awarded Damages.” 3-29-1960, 6. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=50141788

Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Manslaughter Charges Dropped Against 2 Drivers.” 6-30-1960, 11. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=54287378

Yuma Daily Sun, AZ. “Testimony Ends in Phoenix Bus Crash Litigation.” 10-4-1959, p. 10. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=50150900

1959 — June 8, Farm Labor Truck/Bus Crash, fuel explosion/fire, near Phoenix, AZ — 17