On Scene Photo 1958

Robert Shepard

Website Administrator / Past President - Golden St
Super Site Supporter
Here is a photo of an auto accident in 1958, which took place on US101 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Los Angeles. As you will see; LAPD responded two traffic enforcement cars. They are the 58 and 56? Chevys. The traffic officers are the ones wearing the white hats. The Dodge is a CHP cruiser. I'm not sure which ambulance service the two tone rig belonged to; however it is interesting that it does not have a beacon or siren on the roof. I can see what appears to be a siren behind the grill.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search/controller/view/examiner-m15085.html?x=1260567150920
 
That looks like the ambulance that Mike McDonald restored, and sold to Hewy & Ruth. The black & white's on the left are a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet, 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne, and a 1957 Dodge. The one on the left is also 1957 Dodge. The convertible looks like a 1954 or 1955 Ford with a continental kit on the rear. Don't recognize the other car involved in the accident..
 
The ambulance looks like it might say "Miller" or something that begins with "Mill..." on the back door.

They're gonna need more rigs. The firefighters are carrying one woman to the ambulance in the background, apparently from the convertible. They are treating a guy next to the station wagon. There's another man laying on the curb in the foreground right, and an injured child next to him, according to the caption.

Looks like a '56 Meteor ambulance.

Very nice photo.
 
More ambulances, why? It's in the late 50's and ambulances back then could carry 4 (four) patients laying down and if needed two could sit in the front with the driver! Ambulances back then where smaller and could carry more people now that they have gotten bigger they carry less people:D:( I remember one call that we had 12 patients in one ambulance, try to do that today:rolleyes:
 
That looks like the ambulance that Mike McDonald restored, and sold to Hewy & Ruth. The black & white's on the left are a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet, 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne, and a 1957 Dodge. The one on the left is also 1957 Dodge. The convertible looks like a 1954 or 1955 Ford with a continental kit on the rear. Don't recognize the other car involved in the accident..

The ambulance appears to have the roofline of a Miller, but the paint job of a Meteor! It has a B&M S8 siren behind the grille. Likely the streetside tunnel light was a steady-burn red, while the curbside light flashed.

The police car in the distance (on the right) is a '57 Ford.

The station wagon involved in the accident is a 1949/50 Plymouth.
 
The ambulance looks like it might say "Miller" or something that begins with "Mill..." on the back door.

They're gonna need more rigs. The firefighters are carrying one woman to the ambulance in the background, apparently from the convertible. They are treating a guy next to the station wagon. There's another man laying on the curb in the foreground right, and an injured child next to him, according to the caption.

Looks like a '56 Meteor ambulance.

Very nice photo.

Here is the answer I received from Kevin O'Connell regarding the photo:

When you first sent me the link to this archive I found this shot and printed it for Joe Ortiz. He used to work for Miller's. He named the two attendants and told me a story about one of them.

One of the Chevys is a 56. They both have !947 to 1958 Federal C5GB sirens.
 
Not ours!

Not our old one that belongs to H&W now. Unfortunately our old one did not have from tunnel lights, but small "bolt-ons". I have seen the close-up pictures of the Miller Ambulance Fleet with Joe Ortiz and his Brother standing by them referred to by Kevin-O. Our's was a 1956 Meteor-Cadillac purchased new by the 28 Bed Moffat County Memorial Hospital from Craig Colorado...... originally painted Mary-K Pink and White along with a 1957 M-M stable-mate of the same color they said so they could be seen better in the snow? When we restored it..... I painted it to copy the one in the Meteor brochure with a slightly different hood treatment. MM
 
Steady reds

Looks like the LS Spotlight is on and RED....just not a direct shot with the camera man... (possibly) the tunnel lights were alternating? Joe Ortiz would probably remember for sure..... I know they had some beautiful rigs that were always VERY clean.
 
Here is the answer I received from Kevin O'Connell regarding the photo:

When you first sent me the link to this archive I found this shot and printed it for Joe Ortiz. He used to work for Miller's. He named the two attendants and told me a story about one of them.
So, what's the story?!?!? :D
 
Here is the answer I received from Kevin O'Connell regarding the photo:

When you first sent me the link to this archive I found this shot and printed it for Joe Ortiz. He used to work for Miller's. He named the two attendants and told me a story about one of them.

One of the Chevys is a 56. They both have !947 to 1958 Federal C5GB sirens.

My first guess would've been one of Goodhew's rigs, but Kevin and Joe know for sure, not me!
 
I thought that photo looked familiar for some reason, so I went back and looked. An enlarged version of that scene is on the back cover of the Aug. 2010 issue of Lou Farah's newsletter, The Professional Car Collector. In the enlarged version, you can clearly see the "Miller" on the back door of the Cadillac ambulance.
 
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