A MOTOR SMASH.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1925, Page 1

A MOTOR SMASH.

EIRE ENGINE AND CAR

ONE FIREMAN KILLED. (iV TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSN., COrgRIGIIT. CHRISTCHURCH, June 17. A collision between a lire engine and a motor car, this evening, at the intersection of Madras Street and Oxford Ti trace, resulted in one fireman being killed, almost instantaneously, and six other firemen being injured, more or less seriously, while the driver of the motor car had his right leg slightly injured. The details of the casualties are:— Killed :—Station officer .i. 11. Xoblctt (single). Injured:—Foreman T. B. Robb, officer in charge ol the engine (married), severe cuts on lorohcad and riglit eye; Mechanic \V. Low (single), bruises to tlie leg ami arm; Fireman P. J. Taylor (married), broken left leg: Fireman G. Wilton (single) cut leg and bruised back; Fireman W. H. Collett (single), abrasions on the arm and elbow : Fireman It. E. Downing (single), had bruises to the knee and Lack. The Eire Brigade received a call at (i.l.j p.m. to a motcr car on fire in Clyde St ret. The No. I Dennis engine went out, and. nearing Madras Street, the Brigade encountered a ear, driven liy John It. Cade. The motor-car smashed into the middle of the lire engine. which skidded, turned over to the left and came to a stop against the stonework of tlie bridge nearby. The top hamper of tlie engine, carrying the hose and apparatus, was: broken off and the ear slewed rigliL round. The men crawled out from under the engine when it was righted, and Station Oliicer Xoblctt was found under the wrecked gear, terribly injured about the head, his helmet being crushed, and various parts of his body mutilated. 11l- died a few minutes later.

A little later one fireman crawled out of the river, he having been thrown right over iho bridge and into the stream.

The iniureil men were taken to the hospital. Cade had a miraculous escape, but his car was considerably damaged. In tlie motor .smash, the driver of iho car, Cade, had a miraculous escape. There was no one else with him al tlie time and he was proceeding into t lt«- city preparatory to going to Ivaikonra in tlie morning. Ilis car was considerably damaged about lhe front portion. The radiator was dented, the wheels, badly wrenched, tlie dimibiron and headlights wore smashed, and the front pari of the chassis twisted out of shape. As far as tlie damage to the fire engine is concerned, the left front wheel was .smashed, and the chassis twisted out of alignment. The top portion of tlie carrying apparatus was wrenched oil' when tlie machine turned over, and yards of hose and gear were Mivwn about the pavement.

The view down Madras Street was cut off by the Baptist Church, and the crash was quite unavoidable. The siren gave the impression that tlie engine was a good distance off, whereas ii was iust entering the inierseetion, when the motor-car reached the c uller, the aeiual impact taking place in the middle of the road. After tlie injured men had been taken away, two other units arrived from the fire station, under the charge of Superintendent Warner, and gathered up tlie debris, A Cit v Council truck was requist imicd, and the broken engine removed. Asked liv a reporter, alter the injured had been removed wlml happened to the blazing mot or car in Clyde Street. Superintendent Warner remarked grimly: “I don’t know! This is as far as we have got!” The scene alter the accident, was a strange one. Rain was pouring down in torrents at the time, and the wrecked engine, with ils red woodwork and brightly polished brass fillings, twisled and torn, presented a weird ,spectacle, ils lights were still burning, and they gave the see still more peculiar aspect. The < :i-r with the motor car was (im same. Tim headlights, badly battered, had ceased io function, hut the sidelight - um c -i ill on. This accident is probably the most serious one in its elici ts that has been experienced in ChrisD-hurch for a long time, for It is seldom that a fire engine lies met with sm h a disaster. Ihe Dominion has not experienced such a catastrophe since the occasion when, in Dunedin, an engine turned out to a false alarm some years ago, and capsized mi (iirniug a corner, one fireman being killed. A similar accident occurred in a North Island town more recently, another man being killed, and il is strange than on each occasion, including the tragedy of this evening, the call which nccessitaleil the brigade turning mil was a more or less trivial