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Blair Youth Killed Early Saturday In Collision At Third and Washington

Speeding Car Runs Stop Sign At 3rd, Washington

William Gilliland, 19-year-old Blair youth, was killed early Saturday morning when he was thrown from a car which was in a collision at Third and Washington streets. Death was instantaneous, Gilliland sustaining a severe skull fracture.

The youth was riding in a car driven by Richard Reeh, 19, also of Blair. He was accompanied by Dick Lowe and Dick Wiblishouser, all of Blair. The car was in a collision with a panel truck driven by Joe Moore, Blair electrician. The accident occurred at 12:50 A.M.

Moore was proceeding west on Washington street, crossing the intersection which is marked “caution” with a blinking traffic light. The Reeh car approached the intersection from the north, going south. The driver reportedly disregarded the electric stop signal and also the stationary stop sign and started through the intersection at a high rate of speed.

The Reeh car struck a glancing blow on the front of Moore’s truck, and Reeh lost control of his vehicle. It traveled a half block before jumping the curb. At that point the car began to roll. Gilliland apparently went out of the car on the first roll for he was found lying on the pavement at the alley after the crash. The car rolled through the garden and lawn of Mrs. Myrtle Nelson and ended on the parking of Lincoln street, a block from the point of impact.

The other youths were thrown out of the car but were not seriously injured.

The car, a late model Ford Coupe, had been purchased by Reh several weeks ago and the boys were out joyriding at the time of the accident.

Moore, who had been doing some wiring at Bette’s Gift Shop, which has been undergoing some remodeling, was on his way home when the Reeh car came through the intersection. More sustained some cracked ribs and his truck was damaged to the extent of several hundred dollars. He immediately called for help and an ambulance, a doctor and a wrecker was on the scene within a few minutes.

An inquest was held Saturday morning, setting the time and cause of the death. Reeh, however, was charged with motor vehicle homicide and was ordered to appear before Jude H. J. Madsen in the Washington County Court next Wednesday, November 10th. His bond was fixed at $1000 and he is at liberty at this time.

Testimony at the inquest included Reeh’s estimate of his speed as being 50 miles an hour. Other estimates placed his speed at 65 miles per hour.

William Gilliland, 19, was born February 2, 1935 in Blair and met his death, Friday night in an automobile accident.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Agnes Gilliland, his father, Albert, his grandparents, Mrs. Frank Ackerman and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gilliland, Sr.; four brothers, Fred, Albert in the service in Germany, George, Jack and a sister, Marie.

Funeral services were held Wednesday morning at the St. Francis Borgia Church at 9 A.M. with Father O’Donnell officiating.

Pall bearers were Bert Trisdale, Don Stadola, Kenneth Maxwell, Joe Allen, Fred Steffan, all of Blair, and Bernard Taylor of Missouri Valley, Iowa.

#2 Printed in the November 4, 1954 Pilot-Tribune

CHARGE HOMICIDE IN AUTO FATALITY

A coroner’s jury Saturday found the driver of the car in which Billy Gilliland met his death—19-year old Dick Reeh of Blair—guilty of motor vehicle homicide.

County Attorney Roy I. Anderson thereupon prepared similar charges. Reeh is now free on $1,000 bond.

His preliminary hearing is set for next Wednesday in county court before Judge H.J. Madsen. If Reeh waives preliminary hearing, or if evidence warrants, he will then be bound over to district court on the charge.

It took the six Blair businessmen comprising the jury but a short time to return their verdict against the Blair youth, who is currently home on military furlough.

On the jury were A.L. McIlheran, Francis Samson, Lester Wheeler, L.C. Klopp, Scott Robeson and Paul V. Hansen.

At the inquest Saturday, Reeh admitted being the driver of the car, which contained four youths besides himself, which allegedly ran a stop sign at Third and Washington and was in collision with a panel truck driven by Joseph Moore.

Reeh was uncertain about the speed at which he was traveling at the time, estimating it at about 50 miles and hour, whereas the area is zoned for a 25-mile limit. Other occupants of the car, however, estimated the car’s speed at 60 to 70 miles an hour and higher when it went through the stop sign and past a flasher stop light warning signal.

County Attorney Anderson reports that penalties for conviction of motor vehicle homicide are severe—one of three types of sentence set by law: (1) Up to a $500 fine plus up to six months in the county jail, or (2) one to 10 years in the state penitentiary, or (3) both the fine and penitentiary.

INDICTED DRIVER IN COURT BEFORE

Richard L. Reeh, 19, driver of the death car in Saturday’s traffic fatality her, who now faces motor vehicle homicide charges, has been in court before on lesser driving charges:
Mar. 28, 1951 County Court: Improper use of learner’s permit: $1 fine
Mar. 3, 1952 County Court: Reckless driving. Sentenced deferred on Mar. 5, and suspended on May 3.
Aug. 22, 1952 Blair City Court: Reckless driving, $10 fine and ordered to refrain from driving for 30 days.
Oct. 13, 1953 County Court: Speeding at night. $10 fine.

~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave # 75499823