Death of race car mechanician C. F. Swartz

Charles Francis Swartz, riding mechanic for driver Harry Horsman: fatally injured in auto racing crash on November 10, 1916; Santa Monica road race course, California; practice; AAA national championship event

FataL RACING DRIVER JUMPS TRACK. Schwartz Instantily Killed; Horsman may Die. Car had no Right to be on the Course. First Serious Accident in History of Course. Tho first fatal accident in the history of Santa Monica rond racing occurred yesterday morning just n8 the course was being closed following an hour of practice by the drivors. C. F. Schwartz was almost instantly killed and IL J, lorsman was probably fat illy Injured when their car, the same in which Spencer Wishart was killed at Milwaukee I two , ear ago, crashed Into the Tenco nt the Nevada-avenue turn and threw both would-be speed kings from the machine. Horsman, who had no right to bo on the course at all as he was not | entered in the race, drove his fast car onto Nevada avenue A few | moments before the ond of the practice period. The fret Intimation that any of the raco oficials had that Horsman WAS on the courso came when Aving red Mercer swung round the **S" turn and Into the straightaway at eighty miles an hour. Starter Adair flagged Horaman to loave the courso as the timo for practico was up. Apparently not heeding the signal, Horsman sped on for "Death Turn' Ho shut oft before reaching it but according to Toddy Tetzluff who witnessed the accident. he swung Into the turn at slats miles an hour. Horsmun might hate rounded it safely had he not "stepped on her" right in the middle of the turn. The car shot like at bullet straight for the fence, hit the guard rail throwing both occupants high in the air, bounced back into the center of the courep and again chargod headlong Into the fence where it lay with the motor still running until someone shut It off When tho car struck the guard rail Schwartz hurled head first straight into the yard of the Rindgo home, struck his head on the trunk of a huge tree and fell limp beside the prostrate body of Horsman who had been violently hurled to the ground. The men were rushed to St. Catherine's hospital where Schwartz died within an hour and Horsman was lying at death's door at midnight last night. The accident occurred at precisely the same spot which has been the scene of other accidents. In 1914 Pullen butted Into the fence when wheel collapsed in the Vanderbilt race and in the Grand Prize race, 8 few days later, Johnny Marquis in the Sunbeam turned over and rolled high on the fence. The fact that the car was a rod Mercer gave rige to the rumor that Eddie Pullen was at the wheel and It Was not until Eddie himself appeared on the scene that the rumor was dispelled. The days practice, which culminated in the fatal accident was fentured by the sensational speed shown Resta In his Peugeot and Rickenbacker In Duesenberg No. 17. Both of those drivers circled the course several times at eightyeight miles an hour,

Article from 11 Nov 1916The Los Angeles Times(Los Angeles, CA)

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