La Grande, Union County, Oregon
James Romig Is Run Down And Killed By Auto
James Romig, 28 year old engineer, lately of Baker, but a native of La Grande, was instantly killed at 11:30 o’clock Monday night when he and the car he had been driving were struck by an automobile driven by Claude H. Gretchell of La Grande, on the highway at Hot Lake. The young man’s neck was broken and his left leg ground almost completely off. When found he was lying nearly 15 feet from his car. A piece of fender lay beside him, and the victim’s shoes were found on the other side of the car.
Romig, in company with Mrs. Agnes Connolly of Hot Lake, had attended a show in La Grande that evening, and after escorting his companion home he prepared to return to La Grande. He had stated to Mrs. Connolly that he needed to fill the radiator of the car, and it is supposed he had stopped at the lake for this purpose. The car was parked on the left hand side of the rod diagonally, in order that he get at the water conveniently. Parked at that angle the lights were not immediately discernible to Gretchell, who said he turned out to the right as soon as he saw the parked car, but his action did not prevent a collision, the left side of his car striking the left fore of the parked car.
Where Romig was when the Gretchell car hit him has not been determined. There was blood in the back of the car which Romig had been driving, yet he lay 15 feet or more beyond it in the road.
Romig was employed as engineer by both the Central Railroad and the Blue Mountain lumber company, and he had been surveying for the new branch line that is to run into the timberlands form Union. He resided with his parents in Baker. Besides his parents he is survived by two sisters. The family is prominent in this section.
The collision in which Romig was killed, was unavoidable, according to the verdict of the coroner’s jury. H.C. Gretchell, whose machine struck and killed Romig, was exhonorated form blame.
The Romig funeral rites were held and burial made at La Grande Thursday.
North Powder News
Saturday, October 24, 1925