HIT AND RUN
North Vernon Plain Dealer - January 7, 1926
URIAH HOPKINS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY AUTOMOBILE
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Was struck By Machine While Walking on Hayden Pike-Found Helpless by Roadside
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Uriah Hopkins, who resides on West Walnut Street, was seriously injured while walking on the Hayden Pike, west of this city at about four o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
Although there were no eye witnesses to the accident which caused the injury, there is no other solution to the matter except that Mr. Hopkins was struck by an automobile, the driver of which continued
on his journey, leaving the aged gentleman helpless by the roadside.
Joseph Bertram, of the Euler Ford neighborhood, was the first one to find Mr. Hopkins and to go to his assistance. Mr. Bertram, with other members of his family, was driving
home from this city and as he passed along the road west of the Hutton farm, he saw a man leaning against the fence. He drove past a short distance when the thought came to him that perhaps the man was
ill or in need of help. He went back and upon approaching found the man to be Mr. Hopkins and noted that he was injured and unconscious. He ran to the Hutton residence and called an ambulance and a doctor.
When the doctor arrived, Mr. Hopkins had regained consciousness but was unable to tell what happened to him. He was taken to his home and an examination by two doctors revealed a broken arm, several broken
ribs, had bruises over the body and had cuts and bruises about the face. Although the injuries are serious, the attending physicians are hopeful for his recovery within a short time.
Mr. Bertram stated that after he passed the turn in the road just a short distance from where he found Mr. Hopkins, he passed an automobile that crowded him close to the edge of
the road. The automobile was coming toward North Vernon and was perhaps the car that struck Mr. Hopkins; at least the car came right past the old gentleman, just a few minutes before he was found by Mr.
Bertram. An examination of the road at the place where Mr. Hopkins was found revealed freshly made automobile tracks which swerved from the road to the edge of a ditch about two feet away then back onto the road.
On account of his weak condition from nervous shock and pain, Mr. Hopkins has not yet been able to remember what happened to him. He was walking home from the home of Andy Alexander,
where he had been helping to strip tobacco. Several people along the road saw Mr. Hopkins walking toward home, on the road. No other accident could have happened to him except that he was struck by an automobile.
There is no way in which the police can get a clue to the driver of the car unless Mr. Hopkins can recall some description of the car or driver. Perhaps all that the people of the community will ever know is that
some heartless wretch, tearing along the road Wednesday afternoon, cared too little for the life of a fellowman to stop and give assistance to an aged man, whom he had injured.
North Vernon Sun - January 7, 1926
Hit By Car
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N.(U) M. Hopkins, aged 73, while returning from a visit to a neighbor, Wednesday evening about 4 o'clock, was struck by a car just before he reached
his home on Walnut Street Extension.
The driver of the car did not stop and Mr. Hopkins was found about thirty minutes later by Joseph Bertram who called the Dowd ambulance and the unconscious man was taken to his home.
Drs. Stemm and Green were called and found an arm broken, numerous cuts and bruises, denoting the fact that the car when it hit him was traveling at a terrific speed.
Mr. Hopkins remembers seeing the car but as he was walking along the side of the road paid very little attention to it. He does not recall the make and can give no information that will
lead to the identity of the owner.
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