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Oakland, Calif., circa 1958. Our third look at the collision between a Plymouth sedan and GMC tractor hauling a load of Del Monte canned fruit. One commenter puts us on Hollis Street in Emeryville. View full size.
We can see by the emblem atop the trunk handle that this Belvedere is equipped with the optional PowerFlite two-speed automatic. There's also a Farmers Insurance sticker on the back; I imagine he'll be talking to his agent pretty soon.
That (apparent) fender in the road doesn't match up with either the Plymouth or the tractor. It looks more like a fender from that 3-wheel police motorcycle, but it can be seen to be unscathed in the other photos we've seen previously.
[It's the truck's front bumper, seen placed behind the cab in this shot. -tterrace]
3275 Hollis Street is in Oakland, a block or so from the Emeryville border.
Looks like Hollis Street all right. The rig had probably just left Del Monte plant 35 at 45th and San Pablo, now Pixar's headquarters, which was bordered by Hollis. Back in the day, when they were cooking ketchup you could smell it for blocks. Starting with Prohibition and lasting well into the 50's, Emeryville was well known as a wide-open town.
Hope the crash victim had not been partaking of ANOTHER type of cocktail at the adjacent liquor emporium. It would make for a great cautionary poster, if MADD had existed then.
The truck came around the corner wide and a bit too fast, plowed into the unfortunate Plymouth, and pinned it to the pole.
Officers are in discussion with the driver (facing the camera in his khaki work duds), and with what appears to be a father and son. Maybe witnesses, or the fortunate survivors of the crushed tin can (the car, that is).
Maybe the liquor store had something to do with the accident?
Don't drink and drive! what a great illustration of that principle.
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