Francis C. Shields '66 of Adams House and Rome, Italy, was critically injured Sunday morning when he lost control of his automobile on a frosty patch of road near Albany, New York.

William H. Allyn '66, who was asleep in the back seat of the car at the time of the accident, escaped with only a bloody nose.

Shields is now at Albany Medical Center where he underwent four hours of surgery Sunday for head injuries. He was transferred out of the intensive care unit Monday night, and doctors said his condition was much improved. His condition, however, was still listed as critical.

The accident occurred on the Taconic Parkway in the Berkshire Mountains. The ear went out of control and careened along a guardrail. When the guardrail came to an end, the car left the road entirely and collided with a wall of rock.

Shields was thrown outside the ear by the impact of the collision.