Death's Corner
On July 10, 1951, a Holyoke, Massachusetts, judge fined Gus W. Vasilocosta of Suffield, Connecticut, five dollars for failing to slow down at an intersection. It was a minor traffic violation, one of thousands routinely handled in local courts.
Two years later, on Monday, December 14, 1953, Vasilocosta was driving his convertible coupe westward along Thompsonville Road in Suffield.
At the same time, Paul O. McGinnis of New Salem, Massachusetts, with his passenger Anthony M. Symanski of Hatfield, was traveling south on East Street in a 2½-ton truck carrying four work horses.
East Street and Thompsonville Road intersected just ahead of them.
The two vehicles approached the crossing.
Locals had a name for it: “Death’s Corner.”
At 11:31 a.m., they collided.
 |
| Gus Vasilocosta’s wrecked coupe following the collision at “Death’s Corner" |
The impact forced Vasilocosta’s coupe into a cement retaining wall as the truck continued forward before overturning. It also tossed the horses from the truck; they trotted off with minor injuries.
Vasilocosta
was pinned behind the steering wheel and had to be pried from the
vehicle. He had suffered a crushed chest and a fractured skull. He was
placed in a police ambulance and rushed to Springfield Hospital in Springfield,
Massachusetts.
During the ride, Vasilocosta stated that the truck had “jumped the traffic light” at the intersection. He then lost consciousness.  |
| Springfield Hospital circa 1940. (It eventually became Baystate Medical Center) |
McGinnis suffered a fractured right arm, a cut lip, and other facial injuries. Police rushed him to Hartford Hospital. His passenger, Symanski, complained of back and shoulder injuries and was treated by a local doctor.
The horses were rounded up and taken to a local farm, their intended destination.
Despite medical efforts, Vasilocosta died from his injuries at 12:45 p.m. The crash marked the fourth fatality at the intersection in recent years, further cementing its grim nickname.
Suffield police charged McGinnis with negligent homicide, and he was released on $1,000 bail pending a hearing.
As a direct result of the fatal accident, the Suffield Police Commission held a special meeting on Wednesday evening with a State Highway Department traffic engineer to discuss safety improvements at the intersection. The group outlined a four-step plan that included lowering the traffic light to improve visibility and installing electric amber flashers on existing warning signs, among other changes.
Vasilocosta’s funeral was held on December 16, 1953.
In early 1954, a coroner’s finding complicated the case. After reviewing the evidence, the coroner concluded that Vasilocosta had apparently driven through a red light, effectively freeing McGinnis from blame in the fatal collision.
Despite that conclusion, the case proceeded to court.
On March 8, 1954, a hearing was held in Suffield Town Court before Judge H. Clyde Taylor. Testimony stretched late into the night, and at midnight, the judge ordered the case continued. Among those who testified was Mrs. Ruth Lincoln, a visiting public health nurse who had ridden in the ambulance with Vasilocosta. Over defense objection, she told the court what Vasilocosta had said about the truck jumping the traffic light.
After reviewing the evidence, Judge Taylor delivered his decision, and on March 15, 1954, McGinnis was acquitted of both reckless driving and negligent homicide. No defense witnesses had been called. McGinnis himself didn’t even take the stand. It was widely believed that the coroner’s findings played a decisive role in the outcome.
— Uncovered and preserved by the Southwick Time Machine
Gus William Vasilocosta
April 28, 1920 — December 14, 1953
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Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes
Paul O. McGinnis: June 27, 1930 - October 1, 2018 (Familyman - Lumberman - Assessor)
Gus was born in Thompsonville, Connecticut, in 1920.
At the time of the accident, East Street was Route 5A. When Interstate 91 was built, Route 5A was changed to 159.
Gus’
father, William Vasilocosta, lived in the Thompsonville section of
Enfield, Connecticut. In 1935, he filed an application to open a
gasoline station on River Boulevard in Suffield. He built his service
station on the property in 1935, long before zoning regulations and lot
size requirements existed. In 1941, he build an addition on his station. In 1971, George Vasilocosta sought permission
from the Town of Suffield to operate a used car lot at Death’s Corner.
Around 1972, the property was zoned residential. When the garage was heavily damaged by a suspicious fire on July 31, 1974, George attempted to rebuild it.
However, he got massive pushback from neighbors, including Alice Kulpa, whose
property abutted Vasilocostas. Margaret Matuck, who lived on the east
side of the Vascilocatas’ property, was also a vocal opponent. The
Town’s denial was based on a regulation that stipulated that if 50% of a
building on a nonconforming lot is destroyed, the structure may not be
rebuilt. The George appealed the decision. The Town also required that George immediately tear down the standing portion of the building that was only supported by a few beams.
By 1944, William was working for Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company.
Minor
reporting differences state Leo R. McGinnis may have been either towing
logs or loading timber at the time of his fatal accident.
Gus
and his brother, George, were co-owners of Bill’s Service Station. It’s
unclear if the service station moved locations over the years.
Bill’s Service Station provided wrecker service for the Town of Suffield. Neighbors routinely complained that the property was an eyesore.
In
1943, George left the scene of an accident in Longmeadow,
Massachusetts. He tried to outrun a police cruiser, but was captured.
In 1954, George was arrested for speeding. He was found guilty and fined $15.
In September 1951, Gus Vasilocosta and Doris Rauch filed marriage intentions. On October 15, 1951, George and his wife welcomed a baby girl.
Paul O. McGinnis and Eleanor M. Mealand, both of New Salem, were married on October 4, 1958.
Between 1949 and 1953, there were four fatalities, and some thirty people were injured in accidents at Death’s Corner.
The scene of the accident was the same spot where Howard Edwards, Jr. was killed in November 1951 in another accident.
Leo left behind an estate of $12,646.13 (mostly in savings)
George died in his sleep on February 20, 2017.
Anthony Symanski died on October 2, 1995. He was a self-employed sawyer.
Blue Ribbon Winner's Death
Paul's father, Leo R. McGinnis, had been known as an expert horseman and had participated for several years in horse-pulling contests at the Eastern States Exposition.
In August 1941, Leo, 44, drowned after falling from a rowboat while towing timber on a pond near his sawmill. Paul, who was only eleven at the time, witnessed the drowning, as did Leo's brother, Wayne McGinnis. In November 1941, a judge appointed Wayne as
guardian of both of Leo's children, Paul and Mary Louise.
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