CAR ACCIDENT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1932, Page 4

CAR ACCIDENT

ON GREY-DOBSON ROAD

HOKITIKA RESIDENTS INJURED. A serious motor accident took place shortly after 8 o’clock last evening on the ureyinouih-Dobson Alain Highway, about 5 miles from Greyniouth. A Chevrolet sedan car, driven by Air Malcolm Houston, senr., of iiokit.ka was, returning from the races at Reefton, when it met a Hudson car being driven by -Air J. Smeaiton, Alayor of Brunner. In passing, the fro lit hub capu of both cars met, caus.ng them to swerve across the road. Air Smeaton’s ear swung to the right-hand side, leaving the road and coming to rest in a clump of blackberries. Air Houston’s car swung to the opposite side, an- .fell over an 18 foot bank, into what is known as the County gravel p:-t. The cur came to rest upside down, pTnniug the occupants underneath, part of the side of 'the car and the .front, seat having to be removed before they could be extricated by .Messrs J. McLeod and F. L. Turley, who were following in the wake of the ill-fated vehicle. The accident also caused a hold-up with a considerable number of other cars that were returning from Keefton. The names of the injured persons, all of whom were removed to the Hospital are : Mrs AI. Hall, aged 63, of Hokitika, suffering from severe shock and minor injuries,

Mrs J. Boyd, aged 59, of Hok'-tika ; licensee of the Occidental Hotel ; suffering from a broken tight arm and shock,

Air M. H, Houston, senr., aged 5?, of Hokitika, and head of the firm of Houston and Go., auctioneers; minor injuries. Oil- AI. Houston, junr., of Hokitika, escaped with slight abrasions. The driver of the other car, Air Smeaiton, escaped injury, other than shock, although his car is extensively damaged, while Air Houston’s car is completely wrecked. . The force of the fall, however, was broken somewhat by a heap of loose gravel lying at the bottom of the pit. The car, apparently, landed raa.ator first, and .then somersaulted to rest, with the top on the heap of gravel.

One of the first to arrive at the scene of the accident was Air F. Turley, who lost no time in conveying Airs Boyd to ithe hospital and dispatching the ambulance to bring in the other two victims, with the result that 30 minutes after the accident, the injured, who had been attended to by Dr Wilkinson at the scene of the accident, were in the Grey River Hospital.

On inquiry at the Hospital late last night it was stated that the condition of the injured persons was satisfactory. The spot where the accident occurred is one of the most dangerous on this; road. The gravel pit has *been cut parallel to the road and to within eight feet of it, a few blackberrybushes forming the only barrier between the road and the perpendicular drop into the pit, which is fully eighteen feet deep,