CAR CRASH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2987, 16 January 1926, Page 4

CAR CRASH.

SPEEDWAY TRAGEDY. MOTOR'S DIVE OVER WALL. SYDNEY, Dec. 31. A profound sensation was caused by the tragic smash at the Maroubra Speedway yesterday after.uoon, when a car crashed over the northern embankment .killing tile driver, Leo ,J. Salmon, and Albert V. Va ughan. The car landed on its nose, somersaulted three times, and was completely wrecked, the engine being torn from the chassis and flung 25 yards a wav.

It was a shock to motorists in gen■ral, and especially to racing drivers who admired Salmon and Vaughan or their splendid driving and racing ■nthusiasm.

Salmon was preparing for the races on January 2, and from 2.30 until the smash came, he was circling the speedway at intervals. Once or twice he went round with R. H. Clarke, driver of Boyd Edkins’ car, and then laughingly challenged it to a race. However, after a few laps Clarke pulled off and left Salmon alone on the track.

“Salmon was moving beautifully,” said Clarke to-day, “and I think the ear was running better than ever before. 1 had my eyes on him all the time, and on every occasion he passed me a hand was waved by Vaughan, while Salmon smiled cheerfully. HEADLONG DIVE. “It was in the third la]) after I had withdrawn that the smash occurred. The car was doing anything from 75 to 80 miles an hour, .when, without the slightest warning, it shot up the northern bank near the sea and took a headlong dive.” Mr Clarke went on to say that the ear hurdled the 10-foot grass embankment on top of the concrete, shot down into the gully beneath—a drop of 25 feet —and landed on its nose. Marks on the earth showed that the car somersaulted three times, while the engine was torn out and flung 25 yards away. Vaughan, who was flung beside the engine, was killed instantly, while Salmon was lying unconscious among the wreckage. He died three hours later in the hospital.