This Day in History: 1964-07-21

On this day in 1964, Hugh O’Neil (grandson of General Tire founder William O’Neil) and Police Officer Ronald Rotruck was killed while attempting to rescue occupants of a vehicle that had fallen into a collapsed section of the West Tallmadge Parkway. The vehicle occupants were Velma Shidler, her 10-year-old daughter Claudia, and 13-year-old neighbor Janet Lewis. O’Neil and Rotruck entered the hole using a rope being held by other bystanders. While they managed to free Shidler and the neighbor girl, the cave-in expanded, killing O’Neil, Rotruck and Claudia Shidler.