Obituary of

Ezra JACKSON

The Dillon Herald, Dillon, South Carolina
August 2, 1934,Vol.39, No.39

Two are Killed When Train Hits Auto at Crossing

Two persons are dead and three others, all of Dillon, are in the hospital severely injured as a result of an auto train collision at the Main street crossing in Latta at an early hour Sunday morning.

Ezra Jackson, his wife, his two children, Gladys and Cleo, and his cousin, Donnie Jackson, were in the car which was struck at the crossing about 4:30 Sunday morning. Mr. Jackson was killed almost instantly, and Cleo, aged 12, died at a Florence hospital about noon Sunday. The other occupants of the car are critically injured and some are not expected to live. The car was not badly demolished, and Mr. Jackson's body was found in the car. The others were strewn about the tracks.

The night policeman at Latta said he saw the car enter Main street and proceeded down the street. He said the car was running very slowly and he thought the driver, Donnie Jackson, saw the approaching train. However, as the car neared the tracks he yelled to the driver and waved at him with his flashlight, but the car continued toward the tracks at the same speed and was struck in the rear end just as it was about clear of the tracks. The train, an A.C.L. freight, stopped very quickly and when the engineer reached the scene Mr. Jackson was dead. His body was brought to Dillon and the others were rushed to a Florence hospital where Miss Cleo died. Her body was brought to Dillon Sunday afternoon.

Mr. Jackson was about 35 years of age and was an automobile mechanic. He was a son of Abe Jackson, who lives on the Mill Village.

Donnie Jackson's condition remains critical and friends and relatives are very apprehensive as to the outcome. Mr. Jackson is a son of Lawrence Jackson, who lives on the Hugh Price place near Dillon.

Submitted by David Jackson, Aug 2004.

NOTE: Ezra Jackson was the son of Albert Nichols Jackson. Obituary sent to me from the personal files of Helen Moody. --dj