SERIOUS COACH ACCIDENT.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1598, 3 April 1879, Page 2

SERIOUS COACH ACCIDENT.

The afternoon coach from Hurunui yesterday met with a fearful accident at the Waipara cutting, and two or three of the passengers were badly hurt. Mr Holder was unwell, and the coach was in charge of one of his men. On reaching the top of the cutting with the four horse team the animals shied at a heap of tents or canvass and turned towards the precipice at the left side. Mr H. P. Lance and Sir Cracroft Wilson were on the box seat, Mr J. McFarlane and throe females inside, and a man on the back outside. As the horses stopped for a moment the driver jumped off with the reins and escaped unhurt. Mr Lance appealed to him for the reins, but had to jump, and both he and Sir Cracroft got clear. The man at the back also got off before the leading horses, who wore kicking, got round. As they came round to the precipice they disengaged themselves and got away down the cutting again. The wheelers made for the bank, and horses and coach went over the bank, falling about twelve or fifteen feet. The coach was of course a complete wreck. Mr McFarlane was got out very much cut on the head, and the females were also hurt, one of them, it is supposed, very seriously. Mr Lance obtained a horse and rode into Amberley for Dr. Morris and vehicles to bring the passengers into Amberley. This is the only accident that has occurred on this road since Mr Holder has had it. It was caused purely by the loose canvas referred to frightening the horses. _ The casualties in the coach accident were— Mrs McKay, Amuri, so-iously hurl her fea lures, being unrecognisable; Mrs K ght wife of the clerk of the Kaipara Road Board, very badly cut about the head, the same lady has been unwell for six months; Mrs Playstead, Amberley, sustained a severe contusion behind the oar, cannot swallow ; Sir O. Wilton injured the tendons of his left foot; Mr J. McFarlane was badly injured about the face. The driver and others escaped unhurt. The two leaders galloped off with the swingletrees towards Hurunui. All the sufferers are iu McLean’s Hotel, except SirU. Wilson, who proceeded to Mr 0, Jiarper’ti ia a buggy.