MOTOR ACCIDENT.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14836, 29 November 1913, Page 6

MOTOR ACCIDENT.

a * ■ A FORTUNATE ESCAPE,

A motor accident, happily unattended with very serious results, except to the car, happened on the Main North road, about three miles south of Rakaia, yesterday afternoon. Two cars, each containing two persons, were being driven through from Christchurch to Dimedin. They were proceeding at a steady pace, and tho foremost car had just run .through a water-race, when a dray, driven iandem, v.ds met. Although travelling slowly, tho driver of the first car sounded the "horn, but the nqiso evidently caused the nervous leading horso to plunge about tho roadway, finally running straight in front of tho car. . - The driver of the car, in order to avoid a collision, turned aside, and was forced to travel over tho tussock, but the roughness of the ground caused the car to capsize, and it fell on the leg of -the drived. • Marvellous to relate, the car righted itself again almost in a second. Tho car running behind had a narrow escape from collision; as the overturned car.had thoroughly frightened tho horses, and after they had plunged about for a moment or two, they turned and bolted towards Ashburton. ■"■;■'..•■ ; The occupants of the overturned car had a severo shaking, but their friends in the other machine were able to- render first-aid. The injured driver then decided to take tho car. which was, able to run with little difficulty, into Ashburton, the other occupant going into the second car. The driver wns found to have broken a small bone in his leg. and also burst a vein. - His companion was severely bruised about the body. .

The car suffered a smashed windscreen, the two front wheels were bent over at an outward angle,' and tho mudguards-and the body 'woro bent and dented. Tho injured driver will bo tenrporarily' detained in the hospital, nnd the sound car will be token on to DuTiedin by one of ' his three companions, the others returning to Christchurch.