FALL OVER CLIFF.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1923, Page 4

FALL OVER CLIFF.

MOTOR GOES DOWN CO FFET. PUXAKAJKI PICNIC PARTY. I Grey Argus.) Dashing over the road-side at a hairpin bond on the Twelve-Mile Rl ll fT n Fold truck with a picnic party of 17 aboard, i'el! 00 feet, turned three . ) somersaults, and landed in a creek at the bottom at 11.45 a.m. yesterday. The truck, which was owned and driven by Air Herbert Loach, had just come round the bend, and was about to get on to the straight piece of road ahead, when the steering gear jnmmd and the oar went straight ahead and toppled over the edge, side first. The party had a miraculous escape, and suffered very few injuries. The injured ones were: Aliss Freda Alnndy. who had her left collar-bone fractured and. her right wrist sprained, and Airs Charles Fraser, who had an ankle sprained. ATiss E. Ifnhti and Ati.-s F. Esplin, both suffered scalp wounds, whilst most of the other ladies in the party were severely shaken. Air Al. Bergin is suffering from shock. The men in the party seem -to have escaped with scratches. Air Leach, the driver, however, was not so fortunate, receiving a deep gash under his eye. The road at the point where the accident occurred was only about 15 feet wide, and there was not room for two cars to pass each other. The hillside. which is very steep where the ear went over, was covered with scrub, and this served to impede the ear in its downward path somewhat, and also to save members of the party from more serious injuries. The spats in the ear. which were arranged lengthwise, were not fastened and this is stated to have been responsible for the fact that most of the occupant swore thrown clear. The ear which fell on its side against the far bank of the gully was not damaged very much, only the small hood over the drivers’ sent. being smashed, together with the lamps, windscreen and woodwork. The majority of the ladies in the party, it was stnted last night were prostrated by the shock, hut were not otherwise hurt.