The 1936 Cheshire Bus Crash: Miss Elizabeth Norton, 21

Tragedy on the Waterbury Road: The 1936 Cheshire Bus Crash

Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0

It was a rainy Thursday afternoon on September 17, 1936, when a routine commute turned into one of the most devastating transit disasters in the history of our town. At approximately 5:17 p.m., a light blue, 30-passenger Connecticut Company bus—one of the company’s newest models—was heading toward Cheshire carrying between 25 and 30 passengers.

As the bus reached the brow of a hill on the Waterbury-Cheshire Road (near the Waterbury-Marion junction), the wet pavement proved treacherous. According to the bus driver, John F. O’Donnell, 29, of Waterbury, the vehicle began to skid wildly. In his final moments, O’Donnell gasped to rescuers that he lost control as the heavy machine zig-zagged across the highway before slamming into a maple tree with enough force to snap it at its base. The bus then overturned, trapping dozens inside.

The Lives Lost

The crash claimed the lives of five people and left at least 15 others injured. Among the dead were two young women from our community whose loss was felt deeply throughout Cheshire:

Miss Elizabeth Norton, 21: The daughter of First Selectman and Mrs. Birdsey B. Norton. Elizabeth was an employee at the Waterbury Trust Company. She was returning home for dinner with her friend and colleague, Ingebord Anderson, when the accident occurred. Her funeral at the Norton home was so heavily attended that nearly 350 people stood inside and out to pay their respects before her interment at Hillside Cemetery.

Miss Ingebord Anderson, 30: A resident of Waterbury and Elizabeth’s close friend. She was traveling to the Norton home to spend the evening.

Mrs. Doris Galor, 32: A Cheshire resident and wife of Frank Galor.

John F. O’Donnell, 29: The driver, who succumbed to a fractured skull and other internal injuries.

Charles A. Breuch, 63: A New Haven resident who initially survived the crash in critical condition at St. Mary’s Hospital but later passed away from his injuries.

A Community in Recovery

The scene of the crash was a chaotic tableau of twisted metal and shattered glass. Local residents and

doctors rushed to the site to provide aid. Many Cheshire names appeared in the casualty lists, including Mrs. Florence Brown, 63, who suffered a fractured skull, and several young residents like Anna Reed, 17, and Vivian Martin, 17, who were treated for lacerations and shock.

One passenger, Benjamin Fenn Sr., a 60-year-old Cheshire resident, miraculously walked away with only minor bruises and a significant shake-up. He later recalled that, aside from a single shout from one man, the bus was eerily silent during the terrifying skid.

Investigations and Conflicting Findings

In the months following the tragedy, four separate investigations were launched by the State Police, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Coroner, and the Connecticut Company.

The findings sparked a legal debate that lasted into November. Engineer Joseph P. Wadhams of the PUC declared the accident was due to "the failure of human agencies," claiming the bus was operated too fast for the wet conditions. However, Coroner John T. Monzani disagreed, stating there was no evidence of negligence and that O’Donnell was "not crowded for time."

This conflict eventually led State’s Attorney Lawrence L. Lewis to review all evidence to see if criminal prosecution was warranted, though the Coroner had already declared there was "no criminal act" and absolved the deceased driver of blame.

A Somber Legacy

Today, the "Waterbury Road" remains a central artery of our town, but for the families of the victims, it became a site of permanent loss. The outpouring of support for the Norton family—with their home "packed with sorrowing friends and relatives"—serves as a reminder of the tight-knit spirit that has defined Cheshire since its earliest days.

The settlement for the estate of Ingebord Anderson was sought for $6,250—a significant sum in 1936—negotiated between the Waterbury Trust Co. and the Aetna Insurance Co.

To read more go to The Waterbury Democrat (Waterbury, Conn.), September 18, 1936