A Look Back

Jerry Person

The Thanksgiving holidays are fast approaching and people will be

traveling to visit their loved ones for turkey dinner.

Only this year, traveling will be a little different because of the

terrorist attacks.

People will be driving more this year instead of flying.

In the past driving in certain parts of Huntington Beach could be very

dangerous and in a past column we looked at Airplane Hill and the

accidents and deaths that occurred there.

Then there was that section of Pacific Coast Highway between Newland

Street and the Santa Ana River that was affectionately referred to as

Blood Alley.

The one element that these two had in common was reckless speeding,

which caused the accidents. And not just speeds of 60 or 70 mph, but

speeds of 90 to 100 mph.

This week we’re going to look a third dangerous section in our city

that some locals referred to as either Dead Man’s Curve or Dead Man’s

Corner.

This curve was located on Main Street between Yorktown and Clay

avenues where the street made an oblique turn.

Down the center of Main Street and dividing the lanes were large

eucalyptus and palm trees -- some more than 100-feet tall.

Huntington Beach resident Robert S. Espitia remembers when he attended

Huntington High that one of his school friends lost his life on Dead

Man’s Curve.

In December of 1956 three people died and several were badly injured

in the span of two days.

In all of 1956 five people lost their lives at Dead Man’s Curve and

all were 21 and under.

They were all Huntington Beach residents and knew about the curve’s

danger.

It was just after midnight on Dec. 8, 1956 that a Ford sedan with

three youths barreled north on Main Street with a 20-year-old man from

South Gate at the wheel.

As the Ford passed Yorktown and entered the curve, his car slid out of

control and his right rear struck one of the eucalyptus trees that then

sent the car around and into another tree and wrapped the car around that

second tree.

Ron Standridge, a 21-year-old Huntington Beach man and the 20-year-old

driver Ray Marvel were killed.

A second 21-year-old passenger in the Ford, Richard Kellogg of

Huntington Beach escaped with minor injuries.

Just 24 hours later, a Jaguar driving south on Main Street took the

turn too fast and wiped out a small palm tree in the middle of the

divided road.

The Jaguar’s right side broadsided the tree and a 16-year-old

Huntington Beach girl was killed instantly and the 21-year-old driver,

Michael Zimny, was critically injured.

These two vehicles were put on display in town, one at Emmett Evans

station at 5th and Main streets and the other at Mandic Motors.

Many locals stopped to look at and reflect on these two wrecked cars,

and to shed a tear.

A heated discussion followed the week after at the City Council

meeting.

As usual everyone blamed each other.

A petition with 105 names was presented to the council asking that the

city hire a “competent” highway engineer to fix Dead Man’s Curve.

City Councilman Arch Lockett didn’t see why we should redesign the

road to permit kids to see how fast they can drive their cars.

Councilman Roy Bryant (the owner of the Jaguar) wanted Dead Man’s

Curve banked in a more gradual way.

The council had the trees removed and today Dead Man’s Curve is only a

memory, thanks to the quick action of yesterday’s council and the

concerned citizens of Huntington Beach.

So this Thanksgiving let’s keep the speedometer down to a Model-T

limit and remember those kids who died so young in 1956.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.