Edwin De Golia
Class of 1917


©Published on January 11, 1937

Head On Crash
In Rain Kills 3
On Bay Bridge

Edwin B. De Golia, Jr., Steers
Eastbound Auto Into
Headon Smash

(By The United Press

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 11 --
Three persons were killed and three were injured, one seriously, early today in the first fatal crash on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge since it was opened two months ago.

The dead -- Frederick Meyer, 67, Minn.; Edwin B. DeGolia, Jr., 37, Oakland; Miss Agnes Healey, Oakland, an advertising executive in an Oakland department store.

The injured -- Alexander Doonan, 36, Burlingame; Mrs. Amelia Meyer, 62, Minn., wife of Meyer; Estelle Doonan, 32, wife of Doonan and daughter of the Meyers. Doonan's condition was critical. The women's injuries were slight.

Two cars were involved in the crash, which occurred in the rain on the upper deck of the span east of the Island tunnel. One car was driven by DeGolia who was accompanied by Miss Healey. The Meyers and Doonans were riding in the other car. The Meyers, parents of Mrs. Doonan, had been visiting at the Doonan home for the past several days.

A heavy rain and wind storm made traffic conditions on the bridge hazardous throughout the night.

Policemen closed traffic on the $77,000,000 span until the wreckage could be cleared away.

State patrolman said DeGolia's car was headed toward Oakland. They said he apparently had been momentarily blinded by the rain and crossed over into the inner lane, meeting the westbound Doonan car head-on.

Doonan, district manager of a chain of peninsula stores, has a possible skull fracture.