CAR'S WILD LEAP INTO RIVER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 58, 24 March 1937, Page 5

CAR'S WILD LEAP INTO RIVER

-Press Association.)

1 Body of One Man Recovered RANGIOTU TRAGEDY

fBv Telecratih-

PALMEESTON N., This Day. A shocking accident occurred in Bangiotu township, about 12 miles irom the city on the PalmerstonFoxton highway very late last night, when a five-seater anotor car travelling gouthwards left the highway at a bend, struck a fence near » road. bridge and somersaulted a considerable distance. After a tremendous impact with an iron post, lt went completely over the railway where it leads on to the railway bridge nearby, rolled down the bank into Aroua river and landed wheels upward. Besidents near by, hearing the loud crash, investigated and summoned the police and the ambulance, but it was obvious that the occupanta must have been killed or drowned in the time that elapsed. The police wero unable to ascertain the number of the occnpants of the vehicle this morning. One body was recovered when the car was dragged to the side of the river. Measurements by the police show that the distance from where the car left the road to where it struck the fence was 52 feet, The nex't visible point of contact was on the other side of the raised roadway, another 56 feet. From there to the point in the river where it finallv came to rest was another 60 feet. The indications are that the vehicle must have left the highway at high speed. A member of the hospital ambulance crew at an early hour this morning entered the water in bathing costume but could throw little light on the tragedy. Examination of the scene of the fatality showed that the car made a tremendous leap after leaving the road

and ploughed through the fence alongside the railway line, flattened ont the upright rail .projsection and leapt a small gap on to the end of the railway bridge whieh Tuns parallel some yards away from the road bridge. The cai skidded 20 feet along the Tailway bridge, jumped off through hillocky grass eight feet below ■ and nose dived 25 feet over the bank of the river, striking near the base of this with its bumpers. It rebounded, somersaulting nearly across the river and landing upside down. The back of the tnrret top struck the piling of the former Tailway bridge three feet out of the water and the vehicle settled down and became almost submerged. A saclc of potatoes in the luggage compartment was huried acros? the river, After severai hours' work the breakdowu gaug got the car out of the water. The driver was found across the rear seat. He has been identified as Arthur Ernest Sexton, middleaged with .a grown-up family, manager of the Wilson Dalrymple proper,ty at Himatangi. The police believe that there were no other oeeupants. The reason assigned to the accident is that the driver fell asleep.

BOOM UNLIKELY, BUT WOOL PRICES SHOW TENDENCY TO RISE (Beceived 24, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 23. The Financial News, analysing the wool position, considers the outlook most favourable. A boom, however, is nnlikely, as consumers are highly resistant to increases. The atrong statistical position justifies, however, an orderly and gradual advance.