FOUR LIVES LOST

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 11

FOUR LIVES LOST

All Members One Family SMASH NEAR WAIROA Motor Vehicles Collide Dominion Special Service. Wairoa, January 7. Three members of one family were killed outright and another died in hospital from injuries received in a motor smash about six miles from Wairoa about midday on Saturday. The casualties were:— Killed. Mr. Walter Watson, aged 48 years, Maori, labourer, of Mohaka. Tangi Watson, aged 12 years. Caroline Watson, aged 15 months. Died in Hospital. James Watson, aged 17 years. Injured. Julia Watson, aged 3 years, shock. A party of Maoris were driving from Mohaka to Wairoa sn a tourer car driven by James Watson. When rounding a bend on the road about six miles distant from Wairoa the vehicle collided with a lorry owned by the Na-pier-Wairoa-Gisborne Transport Service and driven by George Lawrence Franklin, who was proceeding to Napier. It appears that the car, when approaching the lorry, skidded sideways, colliding with the lorry broadside on. Though the lorry was almost at a standstill the impact was a severe one, and three of the occupants were killed instantaneously. The driver of the car died after being admitted to hospital. The motor-car was badly damaged on the right side, but the damage to riie truck was not serious, it being able to proceed to Napier under its own power. The accident was reported ro the police by the driver of the lorry, who also notified Dr. Hallwright. An inquest was later opened at the police station before the district coroner, Mr. V. E. Winter, J.B. After evidence of identification had been taken the inquest was adjourned sine die. SERIES OF FATALITIES Two Children Drowned By Telegraph.—Press Association Wairoa, January 7. Wairoa within the space of a fewdays has been the scene of six fatalities. Yesterday the body of Thomas Barry, who had been missing since December 30, was found in the' Wairoa River by a schoolboy when swimming. While the inquests on the victims of a motor smash were being held information was received that a double drowning fatality had occurred on Lake Waikaremoana whereby two young sons of Mr. and Mrs. White, well-known Wairoa settlers, lost their lives while holidaying. The two children, John Brunton White, aged 6, and Robert Brunton White, aged 8, were left by themselves for a short time near the lakeside, and it is surmised that they fell from the slippery rocks into the water and were drowned. The bodies were recovered by the father, but efforts at resuscitation were unavailing. Another serious accident occurred yesterday in the vicinity of Saturday’s fatal clossion, when two Gisborne inds, Richard Jeffcoate and Sydney Boocock, fell from a motor-cycle, resulting in the former being sent to hospital with a broken leg, while the latter, who was on the pillion, suffered several abrasions, but was able to proceed home.