On Friday morning, February 19, 1958, at about 7:45 a.m., Penton Wilson Allen, Sr., a truck driver from Savannah, was driving through Augusta. Penton was driving a giant tractor-trailer gasoline truck. He came up to the railroad tracks on Tobacco Road - directly in front of the entrance to the airport. He kept driving - apparently at a high rate of speed - and hit the second locomotive of a Central of Georgia Railroad freight train. Penton's truck immediately burst into flame. Penton was pinned in the cab of the truck and was unable to escape. He was burned to death at the scene.
On the morning of the accident, it was a record 16 degrees in Augusta. This was part of a cold spell that had brought 10 degrees and 12 degrees the previous two mornings. Witnesses stated that Penton had his windows rolled up probably due to the cold. So even though the engineer on the train sounded the locomotive's warning bell and had given the standard whistle signal, Penton evidently heard none of it. (This train crossing had stop signs, but no flashing lights or bells.)
Penton hit the second locomotive on the train, which was unmanned. This locomotive and 13 cars behind it were derailed. Flames from the burning oil truck ignited at lease seven of the train cars which had jackknifed and turned over.
Several fire departments responded and fought the blaze, but their efforts were hampered by lack of water supply.
There were no fatalities and only one injury on the train.
It took hours to put out the fire, and a Central of Georgia Railroad wrecking crew had to work through the night clearing the scene. One of the train cars, containing a load of plywood, was still smoldering more than 12 hours after the accident. So the scene also had to be monitored for any additional fires that might develop. The railroad said they hoped to have the train track back in service by noon the day after the accident.
Tobacco Road, the main artery out of the airport, was not cleared for automobile traffic until nearly 8 p.m. - 12 hours after the accident occurred.
Penton's body was identified by his employers at Walker Hauling Company of Savannah and then sent to Swainsboro for burial. He was 38 years old and left behind his wife and four children.
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| Published in the Augusta Chronicle Augusta, Georgia February 20, 1958, page 22 courtesy of Newspapers.com |
"Driver dies in collision
Crew works through night to clear wreckage of train
A Central of Georgia Railroad wrecking crew worked through the night last night clearing the wreckage of a spectacular truck-train collision near the Municipal Airport here. Officials at the scene said they hoped to have the single-track mainline from Macon back in service by noon today.
The driver of a giant tractor-trailer gasoline truck was pinned in the cab of the vehicle and burned to death after he drove, apparently at high speed, into the second locomotive of the freight train at a Tobacco Road crossing directly in front of the entrance of the airport.
Sheriff’s deputies Ervin Clack Jr. and J. E. Pearson identified the truck driver as Penton W. Allen, 37, of 1117 E. Anderson St., Savannah. Allen was the first traffic fatality in Richmond County for 1958.
The deputies said Allen’s truck struck Central of Georgia freight No. 47 at about 7:45 a.m. yesterday and immediately burst into flames. The unmanned second locomotive of the train and 13 cars behind it were derailed. Flames from the burning oil truck ignited at least seven of the cars, which had jackknifed and turned over.
Fire apparatus from the Suburban Fire Dept., the Richmond County Forestry unit, Ft. Gordon, and the Georgia Training School at Gracewood rushed to the scene and fought the blaze, but were greatly hampered by lack of water supply.
One car, containing a load of plywood, was still smoldering more than 12 hours after the accident, and Forest Ranger T. M. Strickland said he would stand by with a crew throughout the night to help put down any additional fires that might develop.
Central of Georgia officials said last night it would be impossible to make a reasonable estimate of damage for several days. However, they said an early estimate of $500,000 was "way out of line."
"Damage won’t amount to nearly that much," one official declared.
Tobacco Road, the main artery out of the airport, was not cleared for automobile traffic until nearly 8 p.m.
The deputies said Allen apparently was using a detour to New Savannah Road at the time of the accident. The rail crossing is unprotected by flashing lights or bells, but the train’s engineer, Carl C. Coleman of Rocky Ford, Ga., said he was sounding the locomotive’s warning bell and had given the standard whistle signal as he approached the crossing.
Observers said Allen had the windows to the big truck’s cab closed against the cold weather and probably had not heard the whistle until too late. The crossing is equipped with "stop" signs, required by Georgia law.
G. C. Williams, conductor of the train, suffered a laceration of the head when he was thrown against the door of a caboose by the impact of the crash. None of the others in the train crew was hurt.
Allen’s charred body was identified by officials of the Walker Hauling Co. of Savannah, by whom he was employed. Elliott’s Sons said his body would be sent home to Swainsboro, where he was to be buried.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lois Lively Allen of Savannah; two daughters, Miss Ann Allen of Swainsboro and Miss Sherry Allen of Savannah; two sons, Peyton W. Allen and John Allen, both of Swainsboro; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Allen; a brother, Edward Allen and a sister, Mrs. J. W. Bishop, all of Swainsboro." Transcription by ChatGPT.
Penton Wilson Allen, Sr. (1920-1958) was the husband of my 2nd cousin, Lois Louise Lively Allen (1924-2006). Our common ancestors are James Madison "Jim" Tapley and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page Tapley.
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