Memories of the World’s Tallest Water Sphere – Tragedy
The following story submitted by Tom Gilleece, Union High School class of 1980:
“Dave M., Tommy D. and I were driving along Route 22 and we saw a huge rig suddenly veer off and crash through the guard rail and plummet into the darkness surrounding the tower. We pulled onto the shoulder and quickly scrambled down to see if we could help. Dave went off to call the police (no cell phones then), and Tommy and I scrounged through the wreckage for signs of life. The driver was clearly dead – he smashed against the dashboard and front windshield. We found his passenger near death in the reeds and skunk cabbage. His neck was broken, and we spoke soothingly as we waited for help to arrive. He never uttered a word.
The next day we read that they were both pronounced dead at University Hospital in Newark. And what did these two young men from California die for? They were delivering grapes. “