Book: Henderson's Light recounts 1965 Birmingham car crash

Last evening I went the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham to hear Jack Torry talk about his recently published book "Henderson's Light," which recounts the January 1965 drunk-driving accident that took the lives of 3 Birmingham Seaholm students and seriously injured two others as well as killing the 22-year-old drunk driver of the other car.

Jack spent 4 years doing research for his book, interviewing 125 people along the way, several of whom were in the audience, including one of the survivors and a sister of one of the victims. Several family members and classmates were also present.

"Henderson's Light" is a powerful book that tells both the story of a the tragedy and the impact of drinking and driving on families and a community. The fact that it occurred in Birmingham makes it personal, of course, but this is a story that should be shared with teenagers and adults alike.

Publisher website: http://www.countinghousepress.com/ht...n_s_light.html

Jack Torry will be at the Book Beat on Saturday, April 10, 5:30-6:30.
http://www.thebookbeat.com/backroom/author-signings/

There was an article about this in the January 19, 2010 edition of the Detroit News
http://m.detnews.com/news.jsp?key=587792&rc=ne

Photos from the article:
http://multimedia.detnews.com/pix/photogalleries/newsgallery/hendersoncrash0118/index2.html
Vert interesting reading.

Thanks Kathleen, this book is now on my short list.

Just finished reading this book last evening. Powerful book!! Made even more so having met or heard several of the people involved in the story at the Library event. I will never be able to drive Maple Rd. west of Southfield without thinking of the those who died and the survivors plus their families and friends. Kudos to Jack Torry!

http://www.seaholmclassof65.com/news.php

Kathleen...Remember this very well..I was 13 Growing up in the Hills...My parents spoke of this when I began driving...Thanks...Whaler

From my older sister [[Seaholm '67):

"The younger sister of one of the kids killed was in my homeroom [[Donna Christman). I remember wondering how she felt all the time after she came back to school. We were sophopmores, I believe her big sister was a senior.

It is why there is now a light at Lake Park and Maple where the accident happened. My girlfriend Cyndi and I were hit in the MG on Maple while waiting to turn onto Baldwin coming home from Seaholm one day. We were
stopped and I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw this guy barreling down on us. We didn't have seatbelts, and I don't even know if the seats were bolted to the floorboard. I told Cyn to brace herself and the guy saw us at the last minute and slammed on his brakes, but he slid into us anyway.

It took Dad months to find a gas tank to replace the one that was caved in."