Residents of this community were shocked when news spread Saturday evening that Kay Ellen Werner, 20, a junior at Western Illinois University in Macomb was killed in a car-truck collision near Macomb Saturday afternoon.Residents of this community were shocked when news spread Saturday evening that Kay Ellen Werner, 20, a junior at Western Illinois University in Macomb was killed in a car-truck collision near Macomb Saturday afternoon.
The car and pick-up truck collided head-on on a straight and level stretch of the Spring Lake road at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. State Trooper Richard Herzing said the smashing collision occurred near the center of the road. No third car was a factor, and the officer was unable to offer a theory as to why the accident happened.
The coed was a passenger in a foreign sports car driven by Jerry J. Polacek, 20, of Berwyn, also a student at WIU and a member of Western’s national championship gymnastics team. The truck was driven by Carroll D. Brown, 56, of Macomb.
Polacek and Brown were taken to McDonough District Hospital for treatment. Polacek sustained fractures of bones in his left foot and left hand and cuts and bruises. Brown sustained a fracture of a rib, a severe cut on his knee, and bruises.
Brown was driving west, en-route to deliver a tank of gas, and Polacek and Miss Werner were returning to Macomb after having been to Spring Lake, the Trooper reported.
The Polacek car, a 1964 Triumph and the Brown truck, a 1957 pickup, were both total losses. Miss Werner’s body was pinned in the car and it took some time to remove it.
Brown said Monday morning that he was unable to tell the cause of the accident because “it happened so fast.” He said, “I was approaching a cross road and may have glanced to the left momentarily to see if any traffic was approaching the intersection from the left. The next thing I knew, I saw the sports car right in front of me.”
Polacek said Monday that he was traveling about 65 miles per hour just before the impact, but didn’t see the truck until an instant before the collision. He said, “The truck seemed to be pulling in front of me, so I veered to the left.”
Miss Werner was born Feb. 18, 1945 in Canton, the daughter of Maurice and Shirley Little Werner of Astoria. She had resided her entire life in this area.
Surviving are her parents; two brothers, Richard Werner of San Jose, Costa Rica, and John Werner at home; and her paternal grandmother, Mrs. Barbara Werner of Astoria.
She was a member of the Woodland Church of the Brethren, Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority, Western Illinois University Student Government, the Art Club, and National Honor Society. She was the “Miss Astoria” Homecoming Queen in 1961. She was a candidate for this year’s Queen at Western’s Homecoming on Oct. 30, being sponsored by Hursh Hall.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Woodland Church of the Brethren, with Rev. Elmer Dadisman and Rev. Galen Gerdes officiating. Burial was in the Astoria cemetery.
An inquest into her death will be conducted by Dr. Don Dexter, McDonough County Coroner, at Clugston Funeral Home in Macomb at 7 p.m. tonight.
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A large contingent of students and faculty leaders, headed by the President of Western Illinois University and the president of the student body, attended the funeral of a candidate for queen of WIU’s homecoming, Miss Kay Ellen Werner, 20, of Astoria. She was killed in a highway collision. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the Woodland Church of the Brethren outside Astoria.
President A. L. Knoblauch; Dean G. R. Schwartz; Miss Barbara Zick, counselor for women; Mrs. Pat Snider, head resident adviser for Olson; Todd Sieben, president of the student body, from Geneseo, and Carol Lund, president of the sorority organizations and editor of the Courier, from Glen Ellyn, attended the funeral.
Miss Werner was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Werner, RR 2, Astoria. The coed was killed and two other persons injured in a head-on crash of a car and a truck on the Spring Lake blacktop road half mile west of Route 67, Oct. 9 at 2:35 p.m.
On Thursday, she was one of 16 young women running for queen of the 1965 homecoming. Each “house” on campus sponsors a candidate every year. Miss Werner was sponsored by Hursh Hall.
She was a physical education major. She was a member of the student government last year and physical education club for women. As a sophomore last year, she was elected a campus leader. She has served as rush chairman for the Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus