SERIOUS MOTOR ACCIDENT,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2073, 27 December 1907, Page 3

SERIOUS MOTOR ACCIDENT,

CAR GOES OVER A BANK. YOUNG LADY DROAVNED. Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Dec. 26. The weather for the holidays has been gloriously fine, particularly Boxing Day. A small sports gathering and the Riverton regatta was attended by town and country people in great numbers, and in consequence the railway- traffic was a < record. , The holidays were marred to some extent by a motor accident near AA'allacetown, eight miles from Invercargill on Christmas Day. A motor party- of three ladies and two children driven by R. J. Cumming was returning from a trip to Riverton. At tho turn leading to the bridge over the new cutting the inexperienced driver saw ho was not taking the turn properly-, and to avoid crashing into tlie bridge turned off, intending to run the car parallel with the river bank. He lost his head, however, and did not turn sufficiently, with the result that the car shot straight over an eight foot bank, and landed squarely on its wheels in the stream. Fortunately the water was not deep Where the car landed, and the occupants, who had jumped or fallen clear of the car, scrambled to it with the exception of one child and a young lady named Daisy Lumsden, who floated down the stream to deep water. Cumming waded and rescued his child, but as he was unable to swim could not reach the y-oung lady, who gradually sank and drowned in sight of the party. The body of the unfortunate girl, • who was 24 years of age, was recovered two hours later. A veil twisted round her face suggerts that it obscured her sight when the accident occurred, causing her to struggle towards deep instead of shallow water. Tho tear was afterwards hoisted by a derrick out of the stream. Cumming had bought it on3y. a fortnight, aiul this was his first ioug venture in it without a tutor. At the inquest the jury found that deceased met her death by drowning as a result of a motor accident due to want of experience ot the driver. They added that the approach was one of peculiar difficulty, ai d that Cumming did everything hi his power to avert the accident. In the rider the jury drew the attention of the authorities to the necessity of permission to drive motor cars being restricted to certificated drivers, and also pointed out to the County Council that tho approach to the bridge should be mado safer.