A RUNAWAY TRAM

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1926, Page 4

A RUNAWAY TRAM

PASSENGERS ESCAPE LIGHTLY. AUCKLAND, August 20. I he falling-off of the motorninn and subsequent loss of control of a tramcar travelling down Symonds Street resulted in a sensational accident shortly before five o’clock to-night. With a crash of .splintering glass, the runaway tram jumped the points at the intersection of Wellesley Street and Symonds Street and hurled itself diagonally neross the road, carrying away a tree at the edge of the pavement, and then, with a grinding sound, finished its mad career, a total wreck, smashing through the garden fence of a house two doors from the corner. Luckily, the injured list was a light one. and for this the facts that the ear was practically empty and that traffic at the time was exceptionally light must he held mainly responsible. The niotorman. J. Philnott. had fainted and fallen off. He was picked up some distance up the road" by a motorist and conveyed to the hospital. Here it was found that he had sustained a fracture to the base of the. skull. His condition was reported to be somewhat serious. The crash itself was attended by very few casualties. The force of the impact hurled the conductor, C. Boyce, who was standing on the hack platform. through the car, and he received a cut over the eve and minor injuries to his hands and legs.

The onlv passengers were a hoy and a man. The hoy received slight cuts and the man escaped uninjured, both vanishing from the scene before an inquisitive crowd collected.

The circumstances which led up to the falling-off of Motorman Fliilpott are not definite. For the past few days be has not been in the best of health, and it is believed that be fainted shortly after a lady passenger bad alighted from the car at City Hoad. It could not be definitely ascertained where he was picked up. but it was some considerable distance from the scene of the accident. The car is one of a fairly old type. It was not fitted with the modern safety: apparatus that brings a car to a standstill whenever the motorman’s band is removed from the controls. Although the road was exceptionally clear of traffic a collision which would have ended in tragedy was narrowly averted. A motor-car was preparing to turn into- Symonds Street as the runaway tram Hew past. The occupants of the car missed death by a matter of a few yards. Those who witnessed the accident said the car seemed to lurch forward at a terrific speed as it- neared the points. A young lady who had been standing opospite St. Paul’s Church said the sound of the crashing was sickening. The tram seemed to throw itself at the fence. After the accident the scene was out* to beggar description. There were deep scars in the concrete where the car had left the rails, and a tree stump about two feet in height was another mark of its terrific final rush. Still further evidence lay in the state of the ear itself and the presence of a tree trunk hurled some twenty or thirty yards from the splintered stump.

The accident caused no blockage in traffic. The car had cleared the rails entirely, and there was a free tram route right up Symonds Street. The crowd that ■ collected round the scene of the accident caused some minor obstruction to motor-car traffic, hut this was dealt with. efficiently by officials of the City Council Traffic Department.