Obituary Record

Viola M. Nelson
Died on 10/21/1956

# 1 - - Published in Pilot-Tribune, October 25, 1956

ANOTHER KILLED AT OVERPASS

1 DIES, 7 HURT IN CRASH

KENNARD OVERHEAD BRIDGE SCENE OF ANOTHER TRAFFIC DEATH ON SUNDAY

FREMONT WOMAN DIES; 3 ADULTS, CHILDREN HURT

Death rode the Washington County highways Sunday night and, as has been the case so many times before, the Kennard overhead bridge on Highway 30 again was the scene of traffic death.

Mrs. Harry Nelson of Fremont was fatally injured early Sunday evening when a car driven by her husband was in collision with one driven by 26-year-old Leonard Murphy of Decatur.

Mrs. Nelson and her husband were taken to Dodge County Community Hospital in Fremont, while Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and their four young sons were brought to Blair Hospital.

Mr. Nelson was reported to have suffered a broken leg plus head injuries.

Mr. Murphy also suffered a broken leg and was transferred to an Omaha hospital.

Mrs. Murphy remained at Blair Hospital. She sustained injuries which necessitated amputation of one of the fingers on her right hand, and also had severe lacerations about the head.

The four Murphy youngsters also were injured. Larry, 7, had a bad cut over his forehead and mouth, and his brother, Gary, 5, suffered a badly cut tongue. The younger two, Kelly, 2, and Jeff, 8 months, were released after treatment for cuts and bruises.

Both automobiles were wrecked by the collision and State Safety Patrolman Raymond Koerber of Blair reports there was a severe tie-up of traffic until the vehicles could be removed and brought into Blair.

# 2 - - from The Enterprise, October 25, 1956

(picture and caption): The cars of Harry Nelson of Fremont and Leonard Murphy of Decatur are being checked by Patrolman Ray Koerber before being towed from their point of impact on Highway 30 last Sunday evening. - - Enterprise Photo & Engraving

FREMONT WOMAN LATEST OVERPASS VICTIM

Mrs. Harry Nelson, 58, of Fremont, died in a Fremont hospital Sunday evening of injuries received in a head-on collision of two cars at the Highway 30 overpass. Seven others were hospitalized.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were driving west on U.S. 30 returning to their home in Fremont. The Nelson car was approaching another driven by Leonard Murphy, 26, of Decatur, Nebraska, which was proceeding east toward Kennard. The cars, for some unexplained reason, met headon at the curve. Both cars ended up straddling the yellow center line of the pavement.

Mrs. Nelson’s husband sustained a broken leg and numerous cuts about the head when he was thrown against the top of the car. His condition early this week was considered only “fair” by the hospital.

Murphy, driving his own car, also sustained a broken leg and multiple cuts and bruises. His wife suffered injuries which necessitated the amputation of one finger, plus numerous cheek lacerations. The four Murphy children were also injured. Seven year old Larry had forehead and mouth cuts, Gary, 5, had a badly cut tongue. Released with cuts and bruises were sons Kelly, 2, and Jeff, 8 months.

Both cars were badly wrecked, although there were indications that neither car was traveling at an excessive speed.

The Murphy family was brought to Blair by the Kinnison ambulance . The Reckmeyer ambulance took Mr. and Mrs. Nelson to the Fremont hospital.

The death of Mrs. Nelson was the second traffic tragedy in the family within a few years. On September 11, 1953 Mr. and Mrs. Nelson’s son, Robert, 18, was found dead on state highway 130, ten miles west of Omaha. His death, after considerable investigation and deliberation was considered caused by being struck by a hit and run driver who has never been apprehended. Young Nelson had been to Omaha and was returning home, had apparently developed car trouble and was walking for assistance when the accident happened, it was assumed.

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The Kennard overpass has been the scene of many accidents. An unofficial count of deaths there places Mrs. Nelson as number 13 in the tragic record of the area.

Ironically, the overpass was built to eliminate grade crossing accidents at the railroad, but it is credited with far more accidents than could ever have been expected from a rail crossing at that place.

Engineering of the corner is extremely faulty, it has been pointed out, the entire crossing and corner violating many of the safety precautions regarded as “musts” in modern highway construction.

From the west, the motorists approach a blind bridge which is above the grade level of the highway and vision across the bridge is not possible. From the east, another bridge across a creek has been a hazard and scene of many accidents. The curve between the two bridges is not suitably banked because of two graveled roads which lead off the curve. Because these sideroads lead off at the outer edge of the curve, guard rails cannot be erected along the entire curve, making a confusing pattern to drivers.

The curve between the bridges has never been paved. Blacktop covers the short strip and this frequently works full of holes and bumps. Moreover, motorists coming off the concrete paving at either side, find the blacktopped curve hard to see at night time and they frequently go over the embankments.

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