Waynesborian Dies In U.S. 340 Crash

ELKTON - A 21-year-old Waynesboro man was killed and two others were injured in a pair of separate but related crashes on U. S. 340 about four miles south of here early yesterday morning.

Pronounced dead-on-arrival at Rockingham Memorial Hospital at 7:05 a.m. was Robert Hunter Custard of Route 1, Waynesboro.

According to a state police report, a southbound van, driven by 18-year-old Rebecca Jean Turner of Staunton, veered into the northbound lane and sideswiped an oncoming car driven by Michael Dale Roberts, 27, of 1431 Park Rd., Waynesboro. The van then continued in the northbound lane and slammed into the Custard car. A passenger in the van, identified by police as Glenn Spangler, 23, of 565 Highland Ave., Waynesboro, was reportedly injured slightly, but was not transported to the hospital for treatment.

Moments after the vehicles came to a stop, a fourth vehicle, a pickup truck driven by Vernon Lee Dean of Grottoes, struck the van. A passenger in the truck, Herman Roadcap, 62, was injured and treated at RMH and released. The crashes occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m.

Damage estimates amounted to $1,800 to the Roberts car, $9,800 to the Turner van, and $500 to the Dean truck. The Custard car was "totaled."

The cause of the initial crash is still under investigation.

Mr. Custard was born in Waynesboro on Oct. 11, 1956, a son of James Hunter and Martha Blair Miller Custard. He was a 1976 graduate of Waynesboro High School, a member of the Wayne Hills United Methodist Church and a member of the Woodmen of the World.

He is survived by his parents; one brother, Steven Miller Custard, at home; and his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Amie W. Custard of Waynesboro.

A funeral will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Wayne Hills United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Ronald D. Thomas and the Rev. Ronald W. Mateer. Burial will be in Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church cemetery near Middlebrook.

Active pallbearers will be Mark Strickler, David Strickler, Ted Hanger, John Glasgow Jr., Johnnie Doyle and Jeff Hite.

Honorary pallbearers will be Danny Rexrode, Doug Rexrode, Scott Roberts, Ricky Roberts, William Mateer, Scott McClamrock, Kevin Glasgow and Virgil Johnson.

The body will remain at the Etter Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the residence and at the funeral home from 7:30 to 9 tonight.

The family requests that memorials take the form of contributions to the Robert H. Custard Memorial Organ Fund of Wayne Hills United Methodist Church.

[The News-Virginian – Waynesboro, Virginia – Tuesday September 12, 1978 – Pages 1, 8]

Manslaughter Charge Placed

A charge of involuntary manslaughter has been placed against 18-year-old Rebecca Jean Turner of Staunton in connection with the death of Robert Hunter Custard, 21, Route 1, Waynesboro, according to a state police report.

Custard was killed in an early morning head on collision Sept. 11 on U.S. 340 south of Elkton where the southbound Turner van veered into the northbound lane sideswiping another car and slamming directly into the Custard car.

Custard was pronounced dead-on-arrival at Rockingham Memorial Hospital a short time later.

[The News-Virginian – Waynesboro, Virginia – Wednesday September 20, 1978 – Pages 15]