CROSSING FATALITY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1930, Page 5

CROSSING FATALITY

FURTHER PARTICULARS

(By Telegraph- -Per Press Association.)

WHANG ARE!, April 7. -There, is little fresh to report <lOll-

cering the level crossing tragedy at McLeod’s Flat. The injured are progressing satisfactorily, but Sparks is still in a serious state.

No information can bo obtained from the injured. The work ol rescue was rendered difficult by the fact that the night was dark and drizzling, and only a guard’s electric torch could be used, benzine fumes making open lights dangerous. The bus was completely wrecked. It was .struck fair and square just behind the front wheels and hurled down a ten. foot bank. .Scats, cushions and bloodstained splinters of wood were strewn for a. considerable distance along the line.

-Miss Darwin was thrown on the platform above the cowcatcher and carried 1(6 yards before the train pulled up. She was dead when found. The driver Noel "Wilkinson, whose

father is a proprietor of the bus compnnv,• was the only one to retain consciousness and managed to crawl out of the wreckage. Rothwell was found on the right hand side of the track, 60yds from the crossing.

Miss Wilson was visiting Hikurangi as a guest of Mr Jackson of Hikurangi, ns was Miss Trotter, one of the injured. Miss Wilson had arrangements made to return to Auckland but finally decided to stay over the week-end and attend the races.

The accident happened at the first crossing on the Hikurangi side of McLeod’s Flat, and at a point where the main highway crosses the line. Alongside the Mangahahuru skiing in this locality the line crosses the road twice in about 56 chains and for the whole distance the line runs parallel with the road. At both ends, however, there are bends in the line so that the road crosses the line at an ob-

lique angle. Since 1924, persistent but unsuccessful efforts have been made to have both the level crossings elimated by a deviation of the main highways, but the railway engineer expressed the opinion that no matter how desirable the elimination might be if funds were available, they could be spent more to advantage elsewhere as there were many crossings where the view was not so good as on McLeod’s Flat. The Main Highway Board said it had not intended to do anything. ‘The Board’s policy was to provide actually for the limit amount of improvenn nts to dangerous crossings, such as over bridges, subways etc. It added that McLeod's crossing would not be considered dangerous, though of course, it would he an advantage to have it eliminated.