Spectacular Smash

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 4

Spectacular Smash

TWO HAVELOCK PEOPLE INJURED Car Overiurns Several Times in Career Downnlll TE POHUE ACCIDENT Two people received extonsive injuries when the car in which they were driving overturned several times in a spectacular smash near Te Pohue ahorifc 30 miles *rom Napier, yesterday. The two injured people are now ininates of a private hospital in Napier, and tbe opinion was expressed by eye-wit-nesses of the accident that they were lucky to escape with their livee. The car was almost a total wreck. The injtired people were: — MR. H. TOOGOOD, Havelock North, frhctured ribs, fractured pelvis, cuts and bruises; condition seriofis. MRS. TOOGOOD, fractured ribs and severe scalp woundsj condition fairly serious, A passenger, Mr. A. D. Gillies, Hast* ings, escaped unlpurt, although he was rendered unconscious when thrown from the vehicle. According to the accounts of the oecupants of a car which was a short distance away, the car driven by Mr. Toogood, a large one, appeared to have missed a gear change while travelling - at a high speed. Out of cpntrol, it swun'g into the bank and then rolled downMlk ixnishing at the 6ide of tho road bpttom up a short distance from a steep bank, From marks on the road it is thought that the vehicle turned over four times before coming to rest. Two of the bccupants of the other car, Messrs. R. and J. Wealleands, of Feilding, helped -to pujl the three* passengers from beneath the car. A sliding roof of the vehicle was some distance away, and it appears tfiat they were thrown through this, and then Mr. and Mrs. Toogood were crushed beneath the vehicle as it rolled* over. Mr. Gallies was unconscious, but ap-. peared unhurt when he recovered conaciousness, Mr. and Mrs. Toogood both appeared to bg in a serious con-' dition. Messrs. H. V. White and T. Wealleands, the two remaining passe- gers in the other car, cojnmunieated with the Te Pohue Post Office, and the postmaster, Mr. Percy Howell, telephoned Napier for the ambulancc, which left soon after with a doctor. A district nurse, on her rounds, administered first aid and took the patients to meet the ambulance. V - The vehiele was badly smashed. Tho whole of the hood had been crushed down to the level Of the top of the eeats, and had it not been for the facfc that the occupants were thrown through the roof they must have been crushed where they sat. It was oply with th« greatest difficulty that a door was opened. The back of the car was smashed where it had first struck the bank, two of the wheels were smashed, and the romaining two were damaged. The condition of the patients was roported this morning as unehanged.