1969 — Oct 26, drag-racing car hits stopped car with 9 churchgoers, Indianapolis, IN — 9

–9 Associated Press. “Ninth Crash Victim Dies.” Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. 10-28-1969, p. 2.
–9 UPI. “Wrong-Way Crash on I-74 Near Shelby Kills Eight.” Greensburg Daily News, IN, 1-4-1971, 1.

Narrative Information

Oct 28: “Indianapolis (AP) – A ninth person died Monday of injuries suffered in a fiery crash here Sunday night [26th], and police arrested a man they said was drag racing with the driver of one of the cars in the crash. Steve Coleman, 25, Indianapolis, the driver of the car in which eight home-bound churchgoers were killed, died in an Indianapolis hospital Monday about 21 hours after the crash. Coleman had stopped his car on the left side of Riverside Drive in northwest Indianapolis to let out a woman and three children he had driven home from a Jehovah’s Witnesses meeting.

“A speeding car driven by Dalton Wallace, 26, Indianapolis, slammed into the rear of Coleman’s auto and ruptured the fuel tank. Coleman’s car erupted in a ball of flames.

“Coleman made it out of his car, critically burned. His son Steven, 3, was thrown 40 feet to his death. Coleman’s wife, daughter, two foster children, another woman and her two children died in the flaming car.

“Rex L. B. Walker, 23, Indianapolis, was arrested on preliminary charges of reckless homicide and involuntary manslaughter Monday night. Police said two relatives of Wallace, who had been following the racing cars, identified Walker as the driver of the other car.

“Wallace, who was in serious condition, still had not been charged Monday night. Police said they would turn the evidence over to the Marion County prosecutor for action.

“The crash took place on a street which runs for nine blocks without a stop sigh. Twenty persons were arrested for speeding along the street last month.

“Police said Wallace had been convicted of eight speeding counts since 1965. They said Walker had been convicted of three counts of speeding and one count of operating an unsafe vehicle.

“The death toll in Sunday’s crash was the worst since 21 died in a collision between an electric interurban car and a truck full of lodge members in 1927. The 1927 crash took place on private property and would not be counted as a traffic crash today.” (Associated Press. “Ninth Crash Victim Dies.” Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. 10-28-1969, p. 2.)

1971, Jan 4: “It [Jan 3 crash] was Indiana’s worst traffic accident from a standpoint of lives lost since October, 1969, when nine died in an Indianapolis wreck blamed on drag racers.” (UPI. “Wrong-Way Crash on I-74 Near Shelby Kills Eight.” Greensburg Daily News, IN, 1-4-1971, p1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Ninth Crash Victim Dies.” Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. 10-28-1969, p. 2. Accessed 3-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/anderson-herald-bulletin-oct-28-1969-p-48/

United Press International. “Wrong-Way Crash on I-74 Near Shelby Kills Eight.” Greensburg Daily News, IN, 1-4-1971, p. 1. Accessed 3-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/greensburg-daily-news-jan-04-1971-p-1/