Not a happy site, but speaks for the period:

[drwatson]

Aside from the sad obvious, the photo says a lot about the Packard, time and place. Photo is part of 1000+ auto accidents from Leslie Jones collection, recently digitized by BPL Boston Public Libr.

https://search.digitalcommonwealth.org/search?f%5Bcollection_name_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Leslie+Jones+Collection&f%5Bsubject_facet_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Traffic+accidents

[Bhigdog]

I like the fox tails. I can see it all now. Warm summer nite, top down, hot chick, too much beer and way too fast. KABLOOIE! .....................Bob

[39BuickEight]

Wow, 2 things come to mind:

1. How easily older cars tipped over on their side and top, and

2. How many of those were fatality accidents (I am an insurance adjuster), no seatbelts, metal everywhere, I often think about that as I restore my car

[JD in KC]

Sad. The car was only two years old.

[28 Chrysler]

That was a head on wreck, notice the imprint from a tire on the inner right fender and right side of the bumper. The other car climbed over the bumper.

[Curti]

I think it rear ended a truck. That would explain the high horizonal creases, but no damage to the grill protector.

This was my first thought ! The right fender appears to have impacted the truck tire.

[NTX5467]

One time, I found a crash-test video of a wood-reinforced metal bodied Chevy coupe into a brick wall. It looked like paper would have been more substantial. The whole body just collapsed as it hit and then bounced back from the barrier. Talk about "impact force absorption"!

NTX5467

[Bleach]

NTX5467, any chance you have a link to that video?

[Restorer32]

Of course I had to look at all 1000 pics. Apparently folks in Boston back then had a thing for driving into whatever body of water was nearby. I was also struck by how many windshields were broken, obviously by the drivers' or passengers' heads. #978 almost brought tears to my eyes. A '32 Packard 900 Conv "stolen by kids, crashed into pole".

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I only went into the site a few pages at this point, but I'm amused to see how very many of those new, speedy V8 Oldsmobiles seem to have gotten away from their drivers.

[TexRiv_63]

Creepy but interesting, at least the bodies were removed before he took pictures. The earlier prewar cars really fold up and it's chilling to see the remains of plate glass windows. Surprising to see many cars with worn or totally bald tires, some in the snow.

[Marty Roth]

The Packard's windshields are unbroken, so apparently the driver and passenger didn't go into, or through them, and the Packard is at a curb - makes me wonder if it was parked and got hit without occupants??

[drwatson]

Marty, If you enlarge the Packard picture, you'll see the driver banged the windshield and left a "spider web" in the glass.

[drwatson]

Other observations of the jazzed up Packard:

Might be a repaint; I see a light shade where hood ornament was.

WWII gasoline ration "A" sticker, "MIT":Student, Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dual painted (blackout era) spotlights , Dual radio antennas and fox tails. dual side mirrors, 1 round, 1 square, Teenager wearing "saddle" shoes. Milk St.(?) sign might put car on Washington St. downtown Boston.

The main web site allows great enlargement; I was able to read "J.C. BRIGGS" stenciled on driver door on a side view of the car.

[Harold]

I'm into '51-'52 Plymouths and was saddened to see several that were crashed.

[Bleach]

I saw many once nice Cadillacs.