Women and childern placed in peril by reckless driver

This story was published by the Ypsilanti Daily Press on Friday, August 6, 1909.

A party of women and children consisting of Mrs. James Hart, wife of James Hart, conductor of the Hart Band, her two children Jewell and Noel, Mrs. George Jackson, of Ann Arbor and Miss Jessie Hart was placed in extreme peril as a result of a collision between a light buggy which Mrs. James Hart was driving and a large double seated rig, driven by several men, who were apparently the worse for liquor.

The party was on its way to the Arbeiter grove and had turned south on Grove street from Congress Street, (now Michigan Ave.). They were on the right side of the road, but about two blocks south of Congress Street, Mrs. Hart noticed the reckless driving of the person with the approaching and directed the horse she was driving far into the ditch, so as to avoid them. With seeming recklessness and an almost criminal desire to smash the rig driven by Mrs. Hart, the driver of the team turned toward the rig in which the women and children were seated and collided with them, throwing the lighter vehicle several feet and smashing the front wheels.

Mrs. Hart children screamed as the buggy was hit and the entire parity was considerably jarred.

They were able to proceed slowly toward the Arbeiter grove and the rig was then returned to the home of William Maubetsch to whom it belonged.

The driver and his companions were not recognized but the police are endeavoring to find the men today.