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October 7, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Auto accident, 13th and S." If you don't like my driving, get off the sidewalk! National Photo glass negative. View full size.
That enterprising newsie is so efficient that the accident is already on the front page of the paper he's carrying.
I love how you always see the exact same expressions on the faces of the bystanders in these accident photos!
The other car is a "center-door" Model T Ford sedan. Note the broken wheel on the Buick, the wooden spokes often broke from the hub in accidents like these.
We've seen photos documenting car-tree, car-car, car-lamppost, car-fire engine and car-bridge collisions, but none involving cars and streetcars. Since both were on the same roadbed I imagine accidents would not be uncommon. Does the photo record confirm that guess?
Seeing these wrecks makes me realize that when contemporary literature describes an accident as being a "smash-up", the author was being literal.
This photo raises one question though... Is it still a fender-bender if the cars lack fenders?
[The cars certainly do have fenders. - Dave]
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