Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Fatal accident of Bonar Colleano

The Birkenhead News confirms that it was the junction of Corpy Road and Lansdowne Road. Will post the full report when I get round to downloading it off my camera - it includes a photo of the smashed-up car, but I'm not an expert on old sports cars so I don't know what make it was.

Birkenhead News, 20th August 1958, Front page.

Same edition, Page 5.

so am i right then?

Thanks for all the information about this. I didn't realise what a horrific crash it had actually been. It was amazing that the other guy got out alive. I had never really thought about how sad this all was. This poor guy left a wife and two children,he would only have been a couple of years older than my Dad.
Thanks,
Lyn.

Aerial view from the late 1940s of the fateful junction.

What a brilliant photo, thanks again.
Lyn.

Wow, amazing work. the days before seatbelts eh!

Hello people, first time poster here.

Does anyone remember this incident ? bonnar colleano (Not the football match, the incident it was for)

Actor Bonar Colleano; tragically killed, when his sports car crashed in Birkenhead, and went up in flames (The verge of grass on the right hand side as you drive up corporation road, up to James Street)

My Dad used to always say when I was a kid (about 20 years ago) that Ventrice(Sp) from the ITV soap heartbeat; was involved in this crash; but I've since found out it's not the case; it was Michael Balfour who was in the accident.

My old man also told me that my Grandad was driving home from the pub, drunk; and attended the accident scene before anyone else did; he said that he stopped the car pulled "ventrice" from the car, but it was too late for Calleano, (think the car went up; and he was already brown bread)

Years later; when taking driving lessons; my instructor was pretty old guy then (10 years ago) - We drove up corporation road; and he said "Always be careful up this road; I used to be in the fire service; and I had to attend a nasty crash here in the 50's" to which I replied- "The Bonar Colleano one?" - He was astonished that someone so young would know anything about it. I told him what my father had told me, and he was quite surprised- he couldn't remember anything about Balfour mysteriously being on the grass away from the car though....


Anyone on here remember it or know anything else about it?

Dan

I am too young to remember, but now you have brought it to my attention im gonna be up all night lol....

His wife Died in 1978......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Shaw

Son was an actor aswell....

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171716/

Fairly certain there is a thread on here about this already. Do a search.

So there is CLICKY

Bonar Colleano (14 March 1924 – 18 August 1958) was an American-born British stage and motion-picture performer
Colleano died at the age of 34, when he crashed his sports car in Birkenhead shortly after exiting the Queensway tunnel. He was driving back from Liverpool's New Shakespeare Theatre, where he had been appearing in a stage production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? His passenger, fellow actor and friend Michael Balfour, required 98 stitches but eventually recovered.

Bonar Colleano (14 March 1924 – 18 August 1958) was an American-born British stage and motion-picture performer
Colleano died at the age of 34, when he crashed his sports car in Birkenhead shortly after exiting the Queensway tunnel. He was driving back from Liverpool's New Shakespeare Theatre, where he had been appearing in a stage production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? His passenger, fellow actor and friend Michael Balfour, required 98 stitches but eventually recovered.

I remember my dad telling me about this when i was younger, i did not know untill reading this that someone else was in the car, i just thought it was Boner Colleano .