CROSSING SMASH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 81, 29 December 1937, Page 8

CROSSING SMASH

— Press Association.l

« Young Man Killed at Auckland MOTOR-CAR WRECKED

(By Telegraph

/ AUCKLAND, Last Night. * tAnotlier addition was made to tlie keavy toll o£ "vietims of level crossing fatalities shortly before 1 p.m. when a Gve-seated sedan motor-car collided vrith an. outward bound train at the Woodward ioad* crossing, Mount Albert. The only occupant of the car, Clarence Turnbull Elwin, of Mount Albert, received severe head injuries and was lolled instantly just witbin a sbort dis- . tance of bis home. The victim of the ftm asTh was a single man, 25 years of gge, and resided "with his mother, a widow. He was a blaeksmith. employed Ht the railway workshops at Otahuhu. He was proceeding down Woodward jroad from the new North road pust prior to the collision and was killed when only about 150 yards from his mother's. Since the car was struck broadside on by the engine of the train, it was dragged through the cattle stops and precipitated alongside the railway track about 75 f eet from the road. The chassis was severely twisted and tke body and engine smashed beyond lepair. Scarcely one portion of the car iemained intac. and small parts were gtrewn over the vicinity of the tragedy. "yhe only glass portions not smashed •jvere the xear window and one of the headlights. Two of the wheels were toru. off and one of the doors was fhrown some yards further on from the jsrxeckage. The train which was in operation on thft suburban service was delayed only f©w minutes. The flashlight signals y?ere examined a few minutes after the ymagh and were found to be in good order. When a city-bound train passed about three-quarters of an hour after the smash. the bells rang and the lights Hashed when the train was a good distance from the crossing. The driver of a car approaching from ^he same direction as the victim^ of the smash would not obtain a good view of a train approaching from Mount 'Albert. It is only a year ago that a boy was killed at the same crossing although he had approached from the opposite direction. The boy, who was only 11 yeaTS of age, was pushing a amall trolley over the crossing when Struck by a train and he died from his Injuries a few minutes later.