Advertisement

A head-on car crash Saturday killed three Secret Service agents

By JOAN GOULDING
A British sailor holds umbrella over Queen Elizabeth as she and President Ronald Reagan leave the Royal Yacht Britannia on March 5, 1983 to go their respective ways. The Queen is en route to Yosemite National Park for the finale of her California tour. On that day, three Secret Service agents assigned to protect the Queen were killed in a head-on car crash. File photo by Don Rypka/UPI
1 of 3 | A British sailor holds umbrella over Queen Elizabeth as she and President Ronald Reagan leave the Royal Yacht Britannia on March 5, 1983 to go their respective ways. The Queen is en route to Yosemite National Park for the finale of her California tour. On that day, three Secret Service agents assigned to protect the Queen were killed in a head-on car crash. File photo by Don Rypka/UPI | License Photo

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. March 5 (UPI) -- -- A head-on car crash Saturday killed three Secret Service agents assigned to protect Queen Elizabeth II as the royal party headed into the snowy Sierra for the weekend.

The queen and Prince Philip went to Yosemite National Park to relax after hosting a wedding anniversary dinner that turned into an intimate late-night champagne party for President and Mrs. Reagan on the royal yacht in San Francisco Bay.

Advertisement

The agents who were killed were part of the detail assigned to protect the queen and Prince Philip during a weekend in the national park. The accident did not involve the royal motorcade, which passed through the area about 30 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The dead agents were George P. Labarge, 41, of Dayton, Ohio; Donald W. Robinson, 38, of Newark, N.J.; and Donald A. Bejcek, 29, of Chicago, the Secret Service said.

Advertisement

President Reagan, in a statement from Air Force One, expressed 'profound sadness and sorrow' about the deaths.

The president telephoned each of the agents' wives from Air Force One. There were at least two other injuries, including a sheriff's deputy.

A highway patrol spokesman said a Mariposa County sheriff's patrol car sideswiped a Secret Service car on state highway 132 between La Grange and Coulterville, then continued down the road and crashed head-on into another Secret Service car.

Although the royal motorcade was detoured around the crash scene on a parallel road, photographers in a van following the queen's limousine said the wreckage was clearly visible to the passing royal party.

The queen's physician, traveling in the motorcade, offered his services but was told local authorities had the matter in hand.

The agents killed in the crash had been driving ahead to reach the hotel and sleep before going on duty at midnight, a Secret Service spokesman said.

As the queen viewed the 7,500-foot El Capitan, the world's tallest sheer cliff, in a light rain from Inspiration Point, the royal press spokesman, Michael Shea, told reporters she 'was extremely saddened by the news' of the accident.

The royal couple went by air and car to Yosemite after giving a party Friday night on their yacht Britannia celebrating the Reagans' 31st wedding anniversary, which lasted into the wee hours Saturday morning.

Advertisement

At a reception for 200 following dinner on the yacht Britannia, the Royal Marine Band played 'The Anniversary Waltz' from the pier.

Afterward, a group of about 30 stayed behind with the royal couple, the president and the first lady, said Deputy White House Press Secretary Larry Speakes.

Champagne flowed at the intimate party after the reception for about two hours. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, wearing a Royal Navy cap he got from a crewman, played the piano and sang 'True Love' for the Reagans.

The Britannia's crew presented the Reagans with a large anniversary card with a cartoon showing the crewmen trying to pull a horse for the Reagans onto the yacht. The cook brought in a cake with one candle and the Reagans blew it out.

Reagan told the group that when he married Nancy, he promised her 'a lot of things, but not this.' He kissed her as the party broke up.

The Reagans spent the night aboard the Britannia, in the suite Princesses Anne and Margaret used on honeymoon voyages, but got to bed late.

'It was a short night,' commented Speakes. He said the president told him he slept 'exceptionally well, but not long enough -- they were knocking on the door early in the morning.'

Advertisement

The Reagans said goodbye to the royal couple in the rain at San Francisco International Airport Saturday morning after playing host to Elizabeth and Philip at affairs in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the president's mountaintop ranch for the past week.

The royal entourage reserved the entire plush Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite, where deep snow mantled the mountains and lay in patches about the hotel.

They could expect to be free from engagements and most reporters until Monday.

The hotel is secluded in a valley, with a spectacular view of a 3,000 foot high rock wall formation called 'the royal arches.'

The anniversary party began with dinner for 56 on the Britannia after a fireworks display blazed over San Francisco Bay.

Prince Philip, in a naval dress uniform and decorations, met the Reagans at the gangplank, with an honor guard of U.S. Marines and Royal Navy tars, and led them to the state drawing room, where they were greeted by the queen, wearing a turquoise gown, huge necklace of jewels, a tiara and the royal brooch.

Guests included Secretary of State George Shultz, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Treasury Secretary Donald Regan. Also invited were Senate Majority leader Howard Baker and Reagan's three top White House aides -- James Baker, Edwin Meese and Deaver, who was the president's liaison with the queen all week.

Advertisement

Bad weather, which has plagued the Queen's California visit, returned Saturday after a brief day of sunny skies Friday. Rain drizzled on the royal couple as they left the Britannia for the airport.

The Britannia sailed Saturday for Seattle where it will await the royal couple's arrival Monday.

Latest Headlines