Sunday, January 28, 2024

The Crash my Father Survived

Last week I dug up my parents' scrapbook after the death of my two uncles. I made this scrapbook years ago because my parents never cared about organizing the majority of their photos and memorabilia. 

This article is about my Dad's car crash. 

His own typewritten notes indicate it's a Woonsocket Call piece from May 28, 1964.

Article: "Car Hits Pole, Driver Injured - Roger Parenteau, 20, of 141 Rhodes Ave., suffered multiple abrasions and a larceration of the right knee when the car which he was driving, and shown aboe, went out of control and struck a utility pole near 636 South Main St. at 10:57 last night. - Parenteau told police he was forced to the side of the road by an oncoming car. - Police said that marks indicated the car had ridden the curbstone for about 100 feet before hitting the utility pole. - Parenteau was treated in the emergence room at Woonsocket Hospital and released. - The car was considered a total loss."

My Dad hadn't turned twenty-one yet. It was nine years before I was born. Most of my parent's newspaper clippings, including weddings and obituaries, were at best stored away in envelopes. 

Other articles documenting his Selectman run and his other local endeavors seem to be lost to the wind. 

This was the only piece my Dad ever had laminated. He was proud of walking away from this.


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