MOTOR CAR CAPSIZES

Evening Star, Issue 20057, 24 December 1928, Page 3

MOTOR CAR CAPSIZES

OUNEDIH RESIDENTS INJURED PASSENGERS' MIRACULOUS ESCAPE CAR COMPLETELY WRECKED. [Special to the. • Star.’] : TIMARU, December 23. Thomas H. Erskine, a retired farmer, aged sixty-nine years, and residing at 100 Victoria road', St. Kildn, is 'at present in a very serious condition at the Timarn Hospital as a result of severe facial and head injuries and fractured ribs, sustained (lirough ins ear overturning while driving from Dunedin to Christchurch on Saturday evening. Agues M'Robie, aged seven years, his grand-daughter, is also in hospital suffering from cuts and abrasions, but she is making good, progress towards recovery. ■ The other passengers''' in ‘the” car,’ Mrs Erskine, her daughter Margaret, aged twenty-two, and Mr and Mrs J. D. M'Robie.’ of 1 Hart street, RosJyn, Dunedin, and their two other children, Dawson, aged tour, and Margaret, aged two years, suffered from shock, but they had a miraculous escape from death. ‘The car was a total wreck. A DANGEROUS CORNER. The accident occurred on the Main South road at a point live miles south from St. Andrew’s known as tho “llorseshoo Rond,” 'which has a sinister reputation from the motorist’s point of view. From the south the approach to this corner is up a long straight stretch, and, as the telegraph poles continue in a straight line, motorists are misled into thinking that the road lies ahead, whereas the poles continue across paddocks, and there is a sudden sharp left-hand bend in the road, which is exceedingly ' difficult , to negotiate when tile motorist is taken unawares. A small danger sign is erected about a chain from the.corner, but it is far too small and too near to render any adequate service to the motorist. Mr Erskine, who was at the wheel, approached the corner up the straight stretch at a speed of about thirty miles an hour and, when taking the corner, the car skidded. He applied the brakes, and aparently one oi the righthand wheels collapsed. The second right-hand wheel collapsed a moment later, and the car swung round the opposite way from which it was travelling, and capsized. WORK OF RESCUE. Nono of the occupants were thrown clear, but wore penned in. Mr M'Robie, who was holding the baby at tho time of tho accident, managed to extricate himself with some difficulty, and placing the infant on the grass, he attempted to free tho others, The little girl, who, is now in hospital, was wedged’between the ground and the back seat, but Mr M'Robie managed to free her. By the time assistance had arrived the occupants were all freed, with the exception of Mr Erskine, who was pinned down in the seat, the spokes of. the steering wheel having torn his lace badly. His lace and head were shockingly knocked about, and it is astounding that he did not lose consciousness. With the assistance' of Mr Len Shepherd, who lives nearby, find two others, ho was finally released. Mr Shepherd communicated with tho police at Waimato and with Constable Hammond, of St. Andrew’s, and 'the ambulance was also sent for from Waimatc. Mr J. M'lllrick, of St. Andrew’s, conveyed Matron Brunton, who is about to assume her. duties at the Riverton Hospital, to the scone, and she did some splendid work in attending to the injured. Dr R. C. Shacklcton, of AVaimato, also attended the sufferers. Mr Erskine and his grand-daughter were conveyed to Timaru in the ambulance, Constable Hammond and another motorist bringing tho other members of tho party to Timaru. CAR PRACTICALLY RUINED. A newspaper representative visited tho spot this morning and found that the ear, a five-senter Buick sedan, was amost a total wreck. The hood _ was smashed to matchwood, the two righthand wheels were torn to " pieces, and the running board and mudguard wore crumpled up. ‘ Even the floor and upholstery of the car Had not escaped, the planking being torn up and the seats ripped. The spokes had been torn out of the steering wheel, only the rini being left, and the bonnet and one of idle front lamps were also damaged. The' windscreen was shattered to pieces, and it was difficult, to find a piece : of glass which was- larger than an inch across. How the,, remainder of tho party escaped serious injury, if not death, is a mystery. SERIES OF ACCIDENTS, Mr Erskinc’s accident ..was'the third to occur at this particular spot on Saturday. One,, a Cliristcliufch taxi, driving from Dunedin to ■Christchurch, crashed through a fence, "the front axle being slightly bent, but the occupants escaped injury. Three accidents occurred in one day recently; one motor ear capsized, another swung round in the' opposite direction from which it was travelling; and a third swung round, two tyres bursting. I 1 ortunately no one was injured. At this sharp come- the grading of the road slopes the wrong way, and once a car swings round into the shingle it is difficult to recover the balance. The corner is easily one of the most dangerous in South Canterbury, if not in the South Island. The moving of tho warning' sign several chains to tho south ot' the corner would do much to reduce the danger' at this point. It was not till tho telegraph poles were erected in a straight line across the paddocks, instead of around the road, that accidents have occurred. The fact that tho road appears to continue in a straight line, the telegraph jposts giving that impression, is responsible for motorists being unaware of tho dangerous corner just ahead.