Person:Benjamin Parrish (14)

Lufkin Daily News Clipping. No date

Teens face manslaughter charge in Lufkinite Death

New Orleans (AP) - The Orleans Parish Grand Jury has indicted two 16-year-old boys on a manslaughter charge in an April 6 mall disaster in which a speeding car killed one person and injured 18 others.

The jury Thursday rejected a murder charge, a capital offense, brought by police against Bruce Michael Smith and Joseph Samuel Peterson. This decision means that the case will be transfered to jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court.

Smith was accused of driving a stolen car which tore through six blocks of barricades while fleeing from police. Benjamin Parrish, 33, of Lufkin, was killed.

Smith was arrested the next day - his 18th arrest since he was 14.

Peterson, said by police to have been a passenger in the car, was arrested a few blocks from where the car crashed. It was his 11th arrest since he was 15.

Ben was a preacher in the Church of Christ since he was a very young man. He was an excellent debator. He was the FFA Area Nine President during his days at Lufkin High School. He was VP of Lufkin Supply Company, Inc., and industrial parts store, and owner of both Nine til Nine Auto Parts and Wholesale Distributing Company. Also, at one time or another he was a DJ with KRBA radio in Lufkin, a photographer, a race car sponosr, and owner of Small Engines, now Air Cooled Engine Company. He treid growing a beard once, but shaved it because it was red --- his hair was blonde as a young man, turning light brown as he grew older. He loved fishing, hunting, shooting pool, and a good cigar. He also loved speed. At one time or another he owned many, many sports cars. At the time of his death he owned a Stingray Corvette and one of the original Omegas. (There were only 24 Omega's ever built, with half bought in the United States. In 1972, at the time of his death, there were only 2 left on the road in the United States. One time, shortly after I was born, he was preaching at a church in Yoakum, Texas. We were headed to Lufkin for a visit, and someone passed him on the road. It made him so mad that we left Lufkin with a brand new car - a Studebaker Hawk! He never got passed on the road again, at least not if he didn't want to be.

News Clipping from the Brazosport Facts 7 Apr 1972 Sent to me by Linwood Smith along with a note saying that since Dad owned two auto parts stores down there, this article had appeared. Stolen car kills one, hurts 18 NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A stolen car pursued by police roared onto a crowded pedestrian mall in the French Quarter's nightclub sector Thursday night, killing one tourist and leaving 18 others injured. It happened on a stretch of Burbon Street which is closed to traffic at night so crowds can overflow into the narrow street. The dead man was identified as Benjamin Parrish, 33, of Lufkin, Tex. Police said his wife was one of two other persons in critical condition at a hospital. Strollers along the mall had no warning. Police said the fleeing car smashed through metal barricades blocking auto entry onto Burbon and plowed through the cowds, leaving pursuing officers aghast. "He's going into Burbon Street!" one of them shouted on police radio. He's going into Burbon Street!" "He was flat moving!" said Bob Dunlap, a hot dog vender. "All of a sudden here he come, bam, bam, and they're scattered all over." "The car, its speed estimated variously at 40 to 70 miles per hour, turned off Burbon after five blocks. It smashed into an iron pole when the driver tried to make another quick turn a block later. The two occupants lept out and fled on foot. Police said Bruce Michael Smith, 16, of New Orleans was arrested a few minutes later and booked on suspicion of murder, negligent injury, auto theft, posession of a stolen cat and reckless driving. Listed in critical condition at a hospital were Jean parrish, 23, of Lufkin, Tex., and Betty Ferry, 45, of Okemos, Mich. Mrs. Evelyn Decker, 23, of Nacogdoches, Tex., was another who suffered injuries.

My note: Mom was 32, not 23. Evelyn and Richard Decker were friends of my parents. Richard worked at Nine Til Nine Auto. Evelyn had a broken collarbone.