Lucky Escape When Bus Leaves Road

Chronicle (Levin), 2 March 1948, Page 5

Lucky Escape When Bus Leaves Road

. WESTPORT, Mar. 1. It is a littie sliort of miraeuJous that a tragedy did not result froiu a mishap , to the Kailways Road Serviee bus on a steep aud tortuous cJinib to Millerton this jnorniiig. 1 The bus, driven by Mr. W, Marsden, left Granity at 0.-1.3 a.m. to take £3 meii up to their employment at the iMiJlerton mine. The bus was negotiating a hairpin lieml in the roaI near the top when a portion of the bflnk gave. wav, causing the heavy bus lo capsize over the edge. It turhed over eompleleJy twiee before comijig to' rest. I tad it hiade a third tuni it would have larnled on its wheels iiaek on the road on the bottom portion of the bend when its weight and the impetus of its fall would cer tainlv have eaused it to plunge off tlie thej'oad again to a fall of apjiroximate ly 500 feet to the fla-t below. In the more fortunate outeome only Ioui» meu suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment. Tliey were: — Mr. rhopias .Miller, of Granity, aged (id years,fls]iock and laeerated wounds to a fing'er; 31 r. .fohn Masterton, of Granity, aged 41, shoek, abrasions and a po,ssible spinal fraeture. Two other rrten were treated as out-patients and discharged. 7 i