COLLISION ON LEVEL CROSSING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 76, 16 April 1937, Page 7

COLLISION ON LEVEL CROSSING

-Pre.ss Asaoojation.)

Wi 9 m. i. Huslband and Wife Badly Injured WARNINC INEFFECTiVE

iBv

Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Niglit. Tkrown on to tlie road through tbe^ door of tlieir motor car when it was involved in a collision witk tbe aftor-. moon passsnger train to Whangarei, a; man and his wife were seriously injur-, ed at a Jevel crossir^j in Avondale. ; Bpth occnpants, William Joughin,' ;aged §6, residing at Mount Eden, and'iM'rs. Joughin, aged 45, suffered head: injuries, eoncussion and shock. Proceeding up a ateep grade in the, direction of the eity the car apparentiyj istruck the carriage immediately fol-; ilowing the loeomotive. The vehicle waa, dragged about 15 yards before it came" 'to rest in an upright position severali •yards clear o.f the railway traek. j There were apparently no eye-wit-i nesges to the collision but Tesidentsj who were attracted to the scene by the! noise of impact feund Mr. and Mrs. jjoughin lying some distance from the' )ear. They appeared to have been flungi from the vehicle when the left-handj door was carried away. Less than a week ago a gystem of } wig-wag signals which had been in-j etalled at the crossing for some years was replaced by red flashing lights acts jing in conjunction with a warning bell.: Residents who use the road regularly; alleged that in the strong sunlight the! 'signals were indistinguishable and with: the sound of the bell counteracted by the noise of the approaehing train, the system operated efficiently only in darkness. Mr. and Mrs. Joughin were removed to Auckland Hospital.