100 years ago: Sleepy pleasure rider has fateful meeting with milk truck

100 years ago, Nov. 19, 1925

A three-cornered smash-up, between one of the large milk trucks and two pleasure cars occurred in the southern part of the city about midnight last Saturday when an automobile driven by John Tempia, crashed into a car driven by William Mann, of Belleville.

The accident occurred at the junction of the hard road and the Old St. Louis road, the milk truck being blamed for the collision.

Gilbert Page, of Mt. Vernon, driver of the truck, admitted to the police that he was asleep and had no lights on his truck. He said that he was working a double shift and was “dead” tired. After reaching the southwest part of the city he decided to drive off the hard road and take a nap. He turned out the lights and fell asleep.

John Tempia, returning home, failed to see the truck on account of the rain and snow until within a few feet from the machine and swung sharply to the left to avoid a collision.

At the same time Mann, coming from the opposite direction, swerved his machine to one side and the cars met head-on. None of the passengers were injured.

The accident was reported to the police and after Page gave his name started to continue on his trip. The truck skidded and left the roadway, crashing into a ditch where it remained until Sunday, when a number of men, with the aid of three automobiles, brought it back onto the road. Page was ordered to appear in Justice Asbury’s court Tuesday.

75 years ago, Nov. 16, 1950

Archer metal standards bearing the bright lights for O’Fallon’s new white way street lighting system were being installed this week. The standards are high enough to throw light a great distance.

When The Progress went to press the work was well underway, but because of the telephone strike in Belleville it was impossible to call the Illinois Power Co. to determine when the system will go into operation.

50 years ago, Nov. 20, 1975

An auto drove across 1,017 feet of freshly-poured concrete on Interstate 64 near the Illinois 158 interchange, north of Scott Air Force Base late Sunday afternoon.

Keeley Brothers of East St. Louis, contractors for the work, estimate the damage at $50,000. The contractors said the work crew poured the concrete Sunday in order to meet the time schedule for opening the new interstate.

Work crews spent Monday repairing the damage. A suspect in the incident was released Monday by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. No charges were filed.