FOUR BUSES TELESCOPED.

Chronicle (Levin), 10 March 1947, Page 7

FOUR BUSES TELESCOPED.

WELLINGTON, March 9. Sixteen people among the passengers of four railway road services buses were treated for injuries following an accident on tlie' Taita Gorge road 'in which1 the buses were involved about 6 p.m. on Saturday. ; Two of thern were ad.niitted to'the Hutt Hospital. The buses, whithwere • f ujly ' . loaded, : were teleseoped intp oue anoflier aikfthe passfengers, -givqn: a terrilic 'jolt but; most escaipedj serious injury because they were Vu&Kiqked by people around thexn. One womaii went right through the windscreen of one bus without serious injury. Others were jammed against or caught underxieath upturned seats. Most of the passengers received abrasions, bruises or small cuts. Two people in hosjntal are: Alfred Holmes, aged 71, of 33 Crofton Road, Wellington, head injuries; and Erances O'Gradv, married vvoman, aged 41, of 3 Lyn Street, Wellington, abrasions and shock. Their condition is not serious. The buses were travelling in line in the traffic stream from the race meeting at Trentham. When about 150 yards past the turu off to Stokes Valley, a car either pulled up or stalled in front of them. The lirst bus pulled up sharply in time to avoid a cpllision, as did the second and third buses but the fourtli vehicle smashed heavily into the bus in front of it, telescoping the whole line together. The fourth and third buses in the line were severely damaged. The second bus was lcnocked about to a lesser extent and the lirst bus received minor damage, being able to drive olf afterwards. It was the passengers of the last two buses who received the worst shaking.