FATAL ACCIDENT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18426, 6 July 1925, Page 8

FATAL ACCIDENT.

ELDERLY MAN KILLED. An accident, wliicli ended fatally for James Perham, a married man, residing, at 21 Travel's road, occurred at Buxton's Corner, Shirley, about 3 p.m. on Saturday. At the time mentioned above, two of the- Christchurch Tramway Board's employees, Messrs James' Walls and \V. Wing, arrived at Buxton's loop to repair the broken axle of a tram which was standing there. .Perham, who was near the damaged car at the time, offered his assistance to tlio trannvavmen, stating that he was an engineer by profession and had been engagod in breakdown work, in South Africa and the United States. The offer was acceptod, and when the repairs had been completed it bocanio necessary to couple up the tram with a trailer. Deceased offered to carry out this duty, and slipped between the two vehicles to connect the draw-bars. The tram was started, but the draw-bars missed and crashed together end on. Before Motorman Walls, who was driving the car, could stop the vehicle, deceased's thigh was crushed between the buffers of the tram and the trailer. The injured man was extricated from between the cars by the tram way men and Constable J. K. Barwick, who happened to be cycling pa<;t, and was immediately sent to the Hospital in ail ambulance.

It was ascertained that the man's thigh was badly crushed, and ho succumbed tr> his injuries at 11.30 o'clock on Saturday nigl.it. Perham, who was Sit years of ape, was a married man with no children.

An inquest will lie opened to-day,