Crossing Smash

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 5

Crossing Smash

CAR CRASHES INTO TRAIN Passengers Escape Serious Injury SEVERE 1MPACT The Eastbourne street railway croBSing in Hastings was the seene of a level-crossing accident early this afternoon when a car crashed into the Palmerston North-Napier mixed goods train. A passenger in the car was injured, but not seriously. Shorlly before 1.45 o'elock a car driven by Bliss Howie was proeeeding along Eastbourne street in an easterly direction, and apparently Miss Howie did not notice that the northbound goods train was on tho crossing until the car was approaching tlie railway line, for tliough slio sought to swerve the veliicle to ohe side it struck the side of the locomotive. Though the inipact was a very severe oue, "the fact that the vehicle struck tlie engine and not the engine run into the veliicle, was a 1'ortunate one for the occupants of the car, for they escaped serious injury. A passenger, Miss Hughes, however, suffered facial injuries as well as a fractured arm, and both she and Miss Howie were badly sliaken. Tho body work of the car was extensively damaged and the right front wheel was broken to pieces, but the engine was still runniug when a breakdown wagon arrived to remove it some 20 minutes after the accident. In .the meantime Miss Hughes had been inoved to a doctor's surgery for inedical attention. The locomotive was only slightly damaged.