CAR FLIPS AFTER STRIKING CENTERVILLE BOULDER HONORING CHARLES LINCOLN AYLING [HN PHOTOS]
CENTERVILLE – [HN NOTES & MULLINGS ON THE MATTER] – The boulder usually sits at the side of the road on a grassy green, between 562 and 586 South Main Street, with a plaque honoring Charles Lincoln Ayling. Ayling was a Centerville businessman and philanthropist who founded Cape Cod Hospital and served as its first president, after it opened its doors in 1920 (according to various online sources).
The boulder has been struck by a vehicle at least one time before, and this would possibly be the second time, according to a fire official on scene.
The white sedan in the above HN photos was apparently traveling west on South Main Street at a steady clip when it appears to have left the roadway for some unknown reason, striking the boulder and launching it onto the pavement, a good 25 to 35 yards in the direction of the village of Osterville.
Upon striking the boulder, the plaque honoring Charles Ayling went flying in a separate direction toward the northwest, eventually landing face-up on the grassy green, about ten yards from where it initially sat, affixed to the boulder. The flight of the plaque happened simultaneously as the impacted, heavily damaged sedan traveled another 40 to 50 yards, also in the direction of Osterville, finally coming to rest on its roof in the middle of South Main Street.
The plague made out much better than the white sedan, which was completely totaled, missing its front right wheel assembly and tire, along with multiple other front-end parts and fixtures.
The driver was sitting nearby on someone’s front lawn. He was conscious and alert, with all of his external parts and fixtures reportedly still intact and undamaged, according to sources on scene. Judging from the wreckage, the driver made out much better than the car and the boulder with a plaque honoring Charles Lincoln Ayling (who, incidentally, was born in 1875 and somehow managed to survive until his death in 1970, at the ripe old age of 95!)
The driver was eventually placed onto a stretcher and transported to Cape Cod Hospital – the very hospital Mr. Ayling had founded – to be evaluated to make sure there were no internal injuries.
A towing company arrived promptly and carefully removed Charles Lincoln Ayling’s boulder from roadway, placing it back onto its grassy green. HN returned a short while after all the emergency lights and fuss, located Ayling’s plaque and placed it in front of his boulder. (Not wanting it to be lost or forgotten.)
The plaque reads, “CHARLES LINCOLN AYLING – THIS GREEN – GIVEN BY HIS FRIENDS IN RECOGNITION OF HIS INTEREST IN HORTICULTURE AND CIVIC AFFAIRS – 1953.” Good ole Ayling apparently liked plants too… and he apparently was one of the organizers of the Hyannis Airport in 1928, among many other things – busy man!
The following is a photo of what the initial Cape Cod Hospital building looked like in 1920 (courtesy of the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth)! And look at those nice, neatly trimmed hedges! Which were likely done with hand shears and a whole lot of love!
And the following is what one of the initial Cape Cod Hospital buildings looked like last evening, when the driver of the car that struck Ayling’s boulder was transported in for a thorough evaluation (HN photo).
Now let’s have a little review about safe driving skills. Shall we?
A short distance prior the crash scene, to the east, there’s a clearly posted bright yellowish-orange diamond shaped sign that reads in all black capitalized letters, “THICKLY SETTLED, 30 M.P.H.” And for those new to traffic laws and driving, the M.P.H. stands for Miles Per Hour. On your vehicle’s dashboard, there’s an instrument called a speedometer which indicates how fast you are driving in miles traveled per each 60 minutes, or one hour. A sign clearly marked “30 M.P.H.,” for example, is telling the driver the speed limit that’s safe for that section of roadway, and to not travel faster than 30 miles per hour. It’s not a suggestion… and traveling faster than the speed limit is against the law. And can often be dangerous to yourself and others. All legal drivers in Massachusetts should know what a speed limit sign means… but alas, from my experience as a photojournalist, I’ve learned that some have either forgotten about the entire concept of speed limit signs, or else have simply chosen to ignore them.
The Barnstable Police Department is still investigating the cause of the single vehicle crash that happened shortly prior to midnight last evening. But according to police sources, the driver, described as a “young adult male,” is looking at being charged with Operating to Endanger, Speeding, and Mark Lanes violation… at the very least!
At the time of this report, the driver’s injuries were described as “fairly minor” (thank God). But he was also reportedly still being thoroughly evaluated, poked, prodded and x-rayed by Cape Cod Hospital staff, to make sure there wasn’t anything unforeseen going on internally.
And thank God for good ol’ Mr. Charles Lincoln Ayling who took the initiative to start an emergency medical facility here on Cape Cod, just over 100 years ago!
(And I hope they fix his boulder!)
P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is a brought to you by John Schofield… [CLICK IT/CRANK IT!]
* The initial details contained in the above report are based on police radio transmissions and information on scene. All defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
