Originally published March 2, 1968
DR John Scobie and another man were killed when the car in which they were traveling hit a tree near Lake Cullulleraine.
The other man was Reginald Arthur Taylor, panel beater, of Langtree Avenue, Mildura.
The accident happened on the Sturt Highway at the 34-mile peg at 9.30 last night.
Police were unable to say which of the two men were driving the late model car.
Dr Scobie and Taylor were on their way to Renmark to pick up Dr Scobie’s son.
Taylor is the caretaker at the clinic in Langtree Avenue operated by Dr Scobie and three other doctors.
It took police and ambulancemen more than an hour to free Dr Scobie from the wrecked vehicle.
Taylor was thrown out and was about 10 feet from the car.
The front wheels, engine and dashboard of the car wreck found upside down 20 yards away from the rest of the vehicle.
The back section was wrapped around the belar tree that the car hit.
Police had to hacksaw through the back door pillar to free Dr Scobie.
A tow truck was used first to wrench the back section of the vehicle from the tree.
First Constable R. Fletcher, of Werrimull, called on Mildura police for assistance.
He was unable to direct traffic around the tow truck and help at the same time.
First Constables L .L. Bond and L. McGrath went out from Mildura.
The tree hit by the car was eight yards off the highway.
Police said the speedometer was jammed, showing a reading of 80 miles per hour.
Among the Mildura people at Dr Scobie’s memorial service at St Jude’s Church, Brighton, Adelaide, was Monsignor John Day and some of the Sisters of Mercy from the Mildura Catholic community.
Monsignor Day was a close personal friend of Dr Scobie.
Arrangements were also made for a service in Mildura at the request of Dr Scobie’s widow for friends and acquaintances, many of whom had received medical attention from the doctor, and who will be unable to travel to Adelaide.
