A head on collision while speeding with a large truck bearing several tons of fertilizer, a complete summersault and in an instant a blaze of flames ended the lives of two persons, a man and a woman, later identified as Alice Duren Berthnott and Jim Clements, Thursday night about Ten o'clock. Both parties were headed west to their home at Fitzgerald presumably.
The accident occurred about three miles west of the city on the pavement at Upton.
The light coupe seemed to become a roar of flames almost instantly following the terrible impact with the loaded truck, owned by Mr. Hilliard and driven by Ralph Hamilton. The truck was damaged by the impact.
The truck driver and other parties arriving quickly at the scene stood by helplessly as the fire spread. No cry was heard, and it is the belief of some that the couple were unconscious from injuries before the flames enveloped them. A fire truck was summoned from the city and chemicals were used to abate the burning mass. It was more than an hour before the bodies could be removed to the Douglas Undertaking Company quarters where identification was undertaken.
Clements wife arrived from Fitzgerald and only by teeth could she recognize her husband. The woman the worst burned, was finally identified by her father, Dick Duren, of the western part of the county.
The couple had stopped at a filling station just without the city and inquired the route to Fitzgerald and ordered sandwiches. They drove away before being served and traveled only little more than a mile until the crash came. So severe was the heat, the asphalt paving was melted and required reconstruction. Mrs. Berthnott was the widow of Tony __vies, who with his brother were cut to death in a fight near Ben Hill county line last fall.
The bodies were removed to Fitzgerald Friday morning. Clements was buried at Fitzgerald, and Mrs. Berthnott at New Hope Church Cemetery in this county. Both were middle aged.
The driver of the truck was absolved of all blame in connection with the collision.

SOURCE: Satilla Regional Library, Genealogy Dept., Douglas, Coffee Co., GA
Coffee County Progress Thursday, April 12, 1934

Submitted by Lourice Lott Merritt