Ford telephones

reassurances

to

fender bender, 19

From Wire Reports

MERIDEN, Conn. James Salamites, whose car was involved in a minor traffic accident in Hartford Tuesday night, got a telephone call yesterday from the man whose car he hit: President Ford.

"I just wanted to call you, Jim, and . . . of course ask how you're feeling," the President told the 19-year-old sheet metal worker.

"I'm not hurt, but I'm pretty nervous,' Salamites replied.

Ford also told him: "I saw several of the television news clips and I thought you handled yourself just excellently."

The President expressed pleasure when, in response to his inquiry, Salamites told him none of the other young people in his car were hurt. Ford said, "I'm feeling fine, a little shaken. It was kind of a jolt but there was no body bruise or any shaking of old bones."

The President thanked Salamites for "being such a fine young man in the way you handled it:"

Salamites had spent most of the day getting his car out of a police storage yard. He had the wrecked green 1972 Buick towed to his home. He told reporters it will sit in his driveway until he decides what to do with it.

"The police said somebody wanted to give me $10,000 for it, but I haven't heard from anybody yet,” Salamites said.

Hartford police have said they were at fault for not assigning police to the intersection. Salamites had a green light when he crossed the intersection and collided with the limousine. No charges were expected to be filed.

Hartford police said yesterday the results of a blood test Salamites took Tuesday were negative. His blood contained a 5 one-hundredths of 1% alcohol and a person is considered legally under the influence of alcohol only when it is at 15 one-hundredths of 1% of above, police said.

The President, it was noted, did not make a personal telephone call to Oliver Sipple, the man who may have saved his life last month in San Francisco by deflecting the aim of Sara Jane Moore. He did send a letter of thanks and Sipple has been invited to a San Francisco dinner at which Ford will appear. Newspaper accounts had strongly implied that Sipple was a homosexual.