MOTOR ACCIDENT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4519, 24 January 1923, Page 3

MOTOR ACCIDENT.

ON WAITAKAIIURU ROAD. TRUCK RUNS INTO DRAIN. A. peculiar accident happened on the Waitakaruru Road on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Whittaker, a carrier and mail contractor, of; Mangatarata, was driving his Ford truck towards Ngatea when he was overtaken by a Ford car, which, in attempting to pass • him. on the wrong side, struck the hub of his front wheel, causing the truck to turn sharply to the right and run into a drain. Mr Whittaker was unhurt, but a passenger named McDuff, who was thrown through the windscreen into the drain, received several cuts on the hands. His clothing was also badly rent. The truck, which was pulled out ot the drain by a team of bullocks that happened ,to be handy, appears to be seriously damaged. The front axle and the radius rods ,are bent, the chassis, is strained, and part of the body is-broken. Mr Whittaker, who is known to be a steady and careful driver, states that he did not hear anything of the approaching car until it was alongside him. Immediately his truck was struck he disengaged the clutch anl applied the brakes, and it was probably tfh-is. that prevented him from also being thrown into the drain. The Ford car did not stop, and Mr Whittaker was unable ,to see the number, but he immediately telephoned the police.