Kern County Obituaries

Petronella Dias

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://calarchives4u.com/

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to 
their own work.
  
Mojave Desert News; 22 Dec 1949 

 
Auto Collision Snuffs Out Lives of Five 
One of the worst collisions of the year occurred Sunday morning, Dec. 18, about four 
mlles east of town on Hi.way 466, when a car driven by Daniel Dias of Mountainburg, 
Ark collided head-on with a car driven by Harry T. Wristen, of Barstow. 
Killed instantly by the impact were Mrs. Petronella Dias, 55, Sacramento, mother of the 
driver and Rudolph Dias, 37, her son. Dead also was Stanley R. Denton, 18, of 
Barstow, owner of the second car involved. Taken to Kern General Hospital after 
receiving first aid at the Mojave Hospital were Daniel Dias and Harry Wristen, who later 
succumbed to multiple injuries. Taken to the Santa Fe hospital in Los Angeles was Jack 
W. Horner, 20, of Barstow, who was seriously injured. Traffic Officer Loren Sanders 
investigated the crash, the cause of which is not known as yet. . 
O'Donnell's ambulance transported the dead and injured and cars were towed in by 
Buds Garage and Staley Motors. Col Moss, driver of Bud's truck, says that he has been 
hauling wrecks in for 28 years, and this is the worst he has seen. 
A third car involved in the smash up ploughed into the wreckage, but fortunately the 
driver, George W. Sheer of Salem, N. J. was only slightly injured.