ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 20139, 2 April 1929, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

RUN DOWN AND LEFT LYING.Grave injuries wei-e suffered by James Currie, a bachelor, sixty years ot age, through being knocked clown and run over in TTeretnunga street, Hastings, after 6 o’clock last night by an unidentified motor car. Currie, it is believed, was riding a. bicycle near tho kerb on his correct side when the car struck him head on. Nobody saw the accident, and tho injured man himself is unable to give an account of the happening. Tho car disappeared into the night without stopping, leaving Currie very badly injured and his cycle a wreck.’ Currie was taken to the Napier Hospital, where Ills condition last night was reported to be critical. A later message announces Currie’s clcathj CAE CRASH—YO DNG WOMAN KILLED, In the early hours of Sunday morning a motor car crashed inlo a telegraph post at the Clock Tower corner,’ Christchurch, and tho lour occupants wore thrown out, one, a young girl, being killed, and a young man injured. Tho occupants of the car were:—Maureen Doris Mitchell, aged 25 years, of do Bristol street, St. Albans killed) ; Norah Rich, of Papanui, shaken ami bruised; Cecil Penlington, of Chrislchnrch, fractured arm; John Boyd Clark, of Papanui, the driver, shaken and bruised. Miss Mitchell was Ihc daughter of Mr H. H. Mitchell, of the firm of Messrs Mitchell and Aldridge, account- ' ants. The party had been to Dixieland Cabaret, and the car, a three-seater, was being driven by Clark down High street towards the Clock Tower. .Rain was falling, the roads were greasy, and visibility was bad. Eye-witnesses state that tho driver, on passing the Clock 'Tower, endeavoured to turn south into Manchester street towards the railway station. Tho ear was on the tram rails and swerved far over to the left. AA’hen it appeared likely that it would strike the rock work at the southeastern cornel- of the intersection of High and Manchester streets the, driver evidently recovered control and swerved hack towards the roadway again. Here the telegraph post was struck with some force, and its battered condition and also the glass and oil strewn on the road bore mute evidence of»thc crash. It is stated that the car rebounded off the post, turned round completely twice, and came to a halt facing the direction from which it had come. 1 Miss Mitchell and Penlington were thrown some distance away, and bystanders rushed to pick them up. One man endeavoured to render first aid to the girl, whoso injuries did not appear to he external. She appeared in a very serious condition, and she died on the way to tho hospital in tho ambulance. Penlington was also taken to the hospital, and his condition was reported as not serious. The oilier two occupants escaped with a had shaking and bruises. ETTRICK FATALITY. An inquest on Noel Morrison Campbell. aged thirteen years, who was killed at Ettrick on Saturday morning through a. motor van overturning, was held at Miller’s Flat on Sunday afternoon before Mr Leopold Faigan, J.P., acting coroner. According to the evidence the deceased was assisting his brother, aged sixteen years, tho driver of the van, to deliver bread. AA'hilc returning from one house the van ran foul of some mts and capsized, the deceased being pinned underneath alter haying jumped, off. His brother ran for assistance, hut when the van was lifted the boy was dead. The verdict was that the deceased met his death by breaking his neck through the accidental overturning of a motor van rlriven by his brother, no blame being attachable to any person.