Manual starters were famous for breaking arms when a cylinder would backfire.
Happened to my grandfather when he tried to crank up a tractor some time during the 1950ies.
Regarding that accident: until today trolley cars are much stronger in accidents than ordinary cars... from the trolley car accidents we had here in the last 20 years I can say the only things that are really dangerous for trolley cars are snow ploughs, trucks and members of their own species.
About a year ago a bus driver crossed a red light, got hit by a trolley car and the trolley drove almost right through the bus. The bus was scrap metal and two people died (even worse, two children, a 4 year old boy flew out of the window and a 16 year old boy was decapitated by sharp metal edges), the trolley was repaired pretty soon and is in service again... the worst injury in the trolley was a bruise...
