Extracted from The News-Star (Monroe, LA)
Monday, December 31, 1951

MAN AND SON DIE IN WRECK

Funeral Plans Incomplete For Holly Ridge Man And Child

Funeral arrangements are still incomplete for a Holly Ridge man and his son killed late Saturday when a gasoline truck rammed into the back of a mule-drawn farm wagon. The six-year-old boy, Errol L. Johnson, was killed instantly and his father, John Johnson, 28, died in a local hospital at 9:30 p.m. last night.

Tentatively planned is the service for young Johnson to be held in Natchez, Miss., sometime Tuesday. His father will be buried the following day. Interment for both will be in the Natchez city cemetery.

The fatal accident occurred at approximately 6:40 p.m. Saturday on state highway 550 when both were traveling north. Jake Foreman, 42, of Delhi, who was driving the gasoline delivery truck, told troopers that lights from an oncoming automobile blinded him and that he was unable to see the wagon, which had no tail lights.

Dr. John Ball, assistant coroner of Richland parish, attributed the death of the youngster to head injuries and said he had suffered internal and other injuries. John Johnson, the lad's father, was taken first to the Rayville clinic, but later transferred to Charity hospital in Monroe. At the time he was said to have suffered lacerations of the left eye and multiple contusions with possible internal injuries.

There were no eye witnesses to the accident.

Young Johnson is survived by his mother, Mrs. John Johnson, two sisters, Janice Faye and Valdine and one brother, Billy Ray, all of Route 4, Rayville, (Holly Ridge), paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Johnson, Holly Ridge, and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. P. W. [sic T. W.] Freeman, Natchez, Miss.

The elder Johnson is survived by his wife, two daughters, Janice Faye and Valdine, one son, Billy Ray; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Johnson, Holly Ridge; five brothers, Quenton Johnson, with the U.S. army, Melvin Johnson, San Diego, Calif., and Shelan, Paul and Louis, all of Holly Ridge; and four sisters, Mrs. Dorothy Reid, Rayville, and Misses Erlene, Betty, Annette and Delore Johnson, all of Holly Ridge.

Funeral arrangements will be under the direction of Catron Gay Funeral Home of Rayville.