A LUCKY ESCAPE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1932, Page 3

A LUCKY ESCAPE

OAR ROLLS DOWN BANK. OCCUPANTS CUT AND BRUISED. AUCKLAND, July 18. A remarkable escape from serious injury was experienced by a party of New Plymouth motorists on Sunday when th-eir car turned over ' twelve i times down a steep bank, uprooted a j six inch sapling, and finaJy came to ;■ rest against a bigger tree upside down - and astride a creek. With...the exjeeption of on,e ; of the passengers who |rcceived a deep, cut on the band, none jihad more than *a. shock- aiid a few -bruises. . ■ s(3! . -,> rr |

The party comprised Mr J>; 11. Ashton, a. director of-Newton King, Limited, who was driving, Mi - Eiiot,King, another director,- and Mrs King, their son Graeme, aged 10, and T. Honan, aged 10, of Auckland. The accident ocurred in the Manga.taki Gorge, about four miles on the New Plymouth, side- of Piopio The ; travellers were on their way. to Auckland -and just >after turning the corner they -met another car coming from the. direction of Piopio. Mr Ashton had to take the clay on the- low side of rthe road to pass, and the downward slope of the road at this point, prevented him from regaining the crown. In spite, of strenuous efforts to hold the car back it went down over tile bank.

SLOPE ALMOST -SHEER. Tsb slope is almost. sheer and covered with fairly thick undergrowth, a fortunate fact for .the, passengers as -it- retarded the spjed at which the car rolled over aind over. A six inch sapling almost succeeded in stopping the descent, but it was up-rooted and ■the car continued its career. A bigger .tree was later'encountered and it held the car with .its wheels .in the -air and lying on its tpp across a watercourse. By this time the passengers we- e in a heap in the machine and it took a few moments .before Mr King was abp to get clear - break a window, and then open the door from the outside. It was with some difficulty that the others managed to -climb out. LITTLE HARM DONE.

An examination . showed that Mr Ashton was suffering;from shock, Mrs, King had a deep cut on the r.ght hand, and some bruises. Graeme King, w a.' bruised about the body and the boy, Honan, had one bruise on the heau. Mr King escaped with only a bruise or two. Tiie- scramble- up the eliffeide to the, road was not without its perils, more especial.y so after the nerve-wrecking experience the pa. by had gone through. Assistance was given by a nearby settler, who brought ropes, a|id the. travellers-, reached the top without further mishap. The assistance of passing moto.ists was invoked to carry the, party to Te Kuiti, where-they received medical. attention, and stayed the night, coming on t-,. Auckland to-day.

The car, a sedan, had an all steel body, and. - to. this the motorists - attributed in large measure their escape without more serious injury. So far as a cursory examination show t-3 the machine received only superficial damnge. It wn«. left where it came to rest for recovery at a later date.