The Life of MICHAEL DAVID COX
Two Des Moines residents were killed and three other persons were injured early Sunday when the car they were riding in crashed into the side of a freight train near Cumming, about 10 miles southwest of Des Moines.
Dead are Michael Davis Cox, 21, of 3110 Francis Ave., identified as the driver, and Mrs. Marilyn Kay McVay, 19, of 901 E. Twenty-second St.
Injured in the crash were Mrs. McVay''s husband, James Lloyd, 19; Ernest Griffiths, 22 of 5818 Hickman Rd.; and Jerry L. Anderson, 20, of rural Norwalk
McVay and Griffiths were reported in serious condition at Iowa Methodist Hospital; Anderson was in fair condition at Broadlawns Polk County Hospital.
Cox and Mrs. McVay were among six persons killed on Iowa highways over the weekend. The six fatalities raised the state''s traffic toll for the year to 235, or 68 more than at the same date a year ago and 92 more than in 1962.
The accident occurred about 3 a.m. at a diagonal crossing of the railroad tracks and a county road. Warren County Sheriff C.J. Richards said the northeast-bound car hit the forty-seventh car of the 85-car Great Western freight train.
Cox and Mrs. McVay were thrown out of the car; the other three were discovered in the wreck by Carl Moore of Norwalk. The car was thrown about 25 feet.
The impact knocked the freight car from the rails and it was dragged along the ties for about 6 miles before the crew became aware that anything was wrong.
Hundreds of ties were damaged, but no other cars left the rails. Then engineer was Vic Coon; the conductor was James Kinard of Lawson, MO.
Services for Cox will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Hamilton''s Funeral Home, with burial at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery.
He was a lifelong resident of Des Moines and worked as a clerk at Swift & Co. He was graduated from North High School.
Surviving are his mother, Mrs. L. Lorraine Cox; his father, Ray E. Cox of Des Moines; a brother Patrick, and a sister, Tamara, both at home; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Edith Turner of Des Moines; paternal grandparents, Mrs. & Mrs. V.W. Cox of Des Moines; and paternal great-grandmother, Mrs. Lucretia Allsup of Newton.
Dead are Michael Davis Cox, 21, of 3110 Francis Ave., identified as the driver, and Mrs. Marilyn Kay McVay, 19, of 901 E. Twenty-second St.
Injured in the crash were Mrs. McVay''s husband, James Lloyd, 19; Ernest Griffiths, 22 of 5818 Hickman Rd.; and Jerry L. Anderson, 20, of rural Norwalk
McVay and Griffiths were reported in serious condition at Iowa Methodist Hospital; Anderson was in fair condition at Broadlawns Polk County Hospital.
Cox and Mrs. McVay were among six persons killed on Iowa highways over the weekend. The six fatalities raised the state''s traffic toll for the year to 235, or 68 more than at the same date a year ago and 92 more than in 1962.
The accident occurred about 3 a.m. at a diagonal crossing of the railroad tracks and a county road. Warren County Sheriff C.J. Richards said the northeast-bound car hit the forty-seventh car of the 85-car Great Western freight train.
Cox and Mrs. McVay were thrown out of the car; the other three were discovered in the wreck by Carl Moore of Norwalk. The car was thrown about 25 feet.
The impact knocked the freight car from the rails and it was dragged along the ties for about 6 miles before the crew became aware that anything was wrong.
Hundreds of ties were damaged, but no other cars left the rails. Then engineer was Vic Coon; the conductor was James Kinard of Lawson, MO.
Services for Cox will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Hamilton''s Funeral Home, with burial at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery.
He was a lifelong resident of Des Moines and worked as a clerk at Swift & Co. He was graduated from North High School.
Surviving are his mother, Mrs. L. Lorraine Cox; his father, Ray E. Cox of Des Moines; a brother Patrick, and a sister, Tamara, both at home; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Edith Turner of Des Moines; paternal grandparents, Mrs. & Mrs. V.W. Cox of Des Moines; and paternal great-grandmother, Mrs. Lucretia Allsup of Newton.