Pattons Jeep Accident

Local paper fetured a WWII local vet Jerome Peer of Lewiston Idaho who was patton's secondary driver. Jeep and tanks when Patton wanted to go to battle in armor. Anyway there's been speculation about Patton's Jeep accident being fishy. Just to report Peer stated in his interview that Patton hated Stop lights and refused to stop for them. Even had his jeep outfitted with sirens for running the reds. When he told his driver to move out he meant move out.

Snipe

Just for the record, Patton was riding in a staff car - a Cadillac, if memory serves - and not a jeep when he was involved in his fatal accident.

I can't imagine, incidently, that traffic lights were all that common in Europe in the immediate post-war period. Operating ones must have been rarer still. The more usual method of traffic control was an MP or policeman standing at an intersection and giving appropriate arm and hand signals.

Cheers and all,

<< I can't imagine, incidently, that traffic lights <were all that common <in Europe in the immediate post-war period. <Operating ones must have <been rarer still. The more usual method of traffic <control was an <MP or policeman standing at an intersection and <giving appropriate arm <and hand signals.

Cheers and all, >>

I cannot imagine it either but maybe the driver said 'stop Signs'. he said either stop lights or Signs.

For the record, Patton was riding in a 1939 Model 75 Cadillac, not a jeep.

Conspiracy theories and bad '70s movies have never been known to take much account of facts.

Patton was fond of fast driving but in this case it was not a contributing factor in his accident.

The car was traveling only about thirty miles an hour when a two-and-a-half-ton truck turned in front. Horace Woodring, Patton's driver, did manage to avoid a direct collision but it was sufficient to throw Patton forward, causing him to hit his head on a glass partition and break his neck.

Andrew Warinner This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I have the honor to know the CID agent who was first on the scene of the accident. He states it was the result of a truck turning left in front of the staff car. Patton's driver was a hot dog, encouraged to speed by his passenger. The truck driver may have been drinking.

As soon as his superiors learned who was in the accident, the investigator (a sergeant in CID uniform, no rank but with officer's U.S. cutouts) was replaced by a colonel.

Dave Seattle

All the more reason for Patton to ignore the signals, I suppose.