RAILWAY CROSSING ACCIDENT

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1665, 23 January 1917, Page 3

RAILWAY CROSSING ACCIDENT

AIIHACULOUS ESCAPE FROM

DEATH

THREE PERSONS INJURED. While Mr and Mrs Robert Green (manager for Mr W. E. Barber) and a nephew named Sutherland, were in the act of driving in a gig across the railway line at the crossing on the Foxton side of the Motuiti flag station on Saturday night, they were run into by the PalmerstonFoxton train. The horse was struck by the engine and instantly killed, separated from the gig and thrown across the line. The gig was carried side on for a short distance, and overturned, throwing the occupants at brief intervals forcibly and fortunately, on to the main road away from the moving train. The train had stopped at the flag station about a quarter of a mile from the scene of the accident, and had moved on, and was travelling at the time of the collision from 15 to 20 miles an hour. The driver and fireman felt the collision and heard a scream, and immediately the brakes were applied and the train pulled up within 35 yards. The passengers were alarmed, and jeft the carriages, and the injured ones were picked up and placed in the carriage and conveyed to Foxton, where Dr Mandl was quickly in attendance, and inspected the injured and gave instructions for their removal to the district hospital, owing to lack of accommodation to treat them locally. The Department arranged a special, and the injured were taken to Palmerston and conveyed by the ambulance fo the hospital, where their injuries were attended to, which fortunately were not of so serious a nature as was at first anticipated. All suffered injuries to the head, face and body, and were badly shaken up, the boy remaining unconscious for a considerable time. Latest reports state that the patients are all doing well.

In conversation with Mr Green, we were informed that when about to cross the line a motor car passed him, and a motor bicycle was coming towards him. He mistook the head light of the engine for motor car lights, and never anticipated or noticed the train coming. The train track at the locality is practically level with the road.

The head light of the engine was .smashed.

The driver said the glare of motor lights from oncoming cars where the line runs parallel with the road temporarily obscures the track ahead.

The gig was badly smashed. The shafts, swingle tree and harness were attached to the horse. The horse, except for a broken nose, showed no other signs of injury, and must have been disconnected from the vehicle and heaved across the line at the first impact.