Guard Reed Marion Abell

Reed Marion Abell

Guard Reed Abell drowned when the prison camp dump truck he was riding in drove into a pond along U.S. Highway 21 adjacent to Lake Elizabeth.

A prisoner from Richland County Prison Camp No. 1 was driving the truck when its defective hood latch disengaged, causing the hood to open and block the driver's view. The driver was thrown from the vehicle as it hit a drainage ditch before entering the pond. A second prisoner who was in the cab was able to escape as the truck sank. The two prisoners tried to rescue Guard Abell but were unsuccessful.

Guard Abell was survived by four brothers and four sisters.