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Saturday, December 9, 1944 at 8:45 PM the truck on which Leni Domine and I were riding started down Floyd Hill, ten miles of downgrade with a mountain on the left and a cliff on the right.  As we started down hill the brakes failed — then (we stripped ^&[[1st]] gears). We were on the flatbed of a runaway truck! The truck went about three miles and our speed increased to over 100 mph before the truck skidded into a guard rail. Domine jumped but I was thrown sixty feet over the side.  The truck continued the full 300 feet to the bottom.  The 25 year old driver rode the cab to the bottom but his wife jumped out and landed on ledge 200 feet down  The man died early the next day. The woman had multiple compound fractures on both arms and legs. [[/left column]]

These pictures were taken but I am passing G.I. on Sunday morning. Picture above was taken from partway down the cliff. The bed on which we were riding is in the center foreground and the chassis and cab are about 25 feet farther. After I stopped sliding I saw a pair of headlights far below on the road in the upper left corner of the picture. Clear Creek is in the center of the picture. The waterfall at Idaho Springs seven miles away runs into Clear Creek. Our road (40) and the above road formed a "T" intersection in just a short distance from here. There was a sheer rock wall at the "T" which we would have rammed into. 9° below zero!

[[four photos]]

 Caption: Me - 12/31/44]]

 Caption: Idaho Springs, Colorado, Looking East]]

 Caption: Part of the mountain we climbed.  Top of the mountain is out ofr the picture to the left.]]

 Caption: Main Street. We say Kismet.

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