Double Motor-cycle Tragedy

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 304, 26 December 1939, Page 6

Double Motor-cycle Tragedy

Driver and Pillion Rider Killed COLLISION WITH EDAN CAB 1 Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Dec. 2. Two young men were killed instantly when a motor-cycle they were riding up Mellon’s Hill on the Howick highway c about two miles north of Pakuranga 1 this morning collided with a five-seatcr c sedan car, uono of the occupants of t which was seriously injured. The motor- i cycle was a twisted wreck and substan- 1 tial damage was done to the front of 1 the car and there was a jagged hole j about 1 feet in diameter in the wind- < screen against which had struck the ; head of the motor-cycle driver. The victims were:— < JOHN EASTWOOD, labourer, of * Newton, aged about 23. JOHN A. WALLACE, gardener, of ] Opawa, Christchurch, aged about 24. ( The car was being driven from the . city to Bucklands beach by 3lr. William ] Walmsley with whom were his wife, 31r. < and 3lrs. J. Birchall and their five-year- f old son, all of the same address. It is < believed the motor-cycle was ridden by Eastwood aud that the pillion rider wa.i j Wallace, both of whom were staying at ; the Bible Class camp at Bucklands beach. They had left the camp not long , before and were going toward the city. A young man who lives about 200 yards from where the two machines collided said he heard the sound of a vio- , lent impact and when he looked in the direction from which the noise came he saw what appeared to be a cloud of blue smoke as though something were ou fire. He hurried over the brow of the hill and saw a motor-car, it’s off side front wheel devoid of its tyre and rim against the bank at the right hand sido of the highway and a little to the rear the bodies of two young men. One had been flung about 15 feet from the point of impact and the other several feet from where their machine lay on its side against the bank. Both were dead. Parts of the motor-cycle were strewn among tho grass at the verge and broken glass from the headlights of the car was scattered on the concrete The driver of the car (3lr. Walmsley) suffered a cut on his right arm and his wife, who was seated immediately behind him, received extensive cuts about the face. Beyond differing degrees of shock the others appeared to have escaped physical injury. CAR GOES OVER 400-FOOT CLIFF man dies in hospital Per Press Association. GISBORNE, Dec. 25. One man was fatally injured and his companion was injured iu the early hours of Sunday morning when their car left the road and shot over a 400foot cliff into the Kakkoura Creek. The victims were:— Killed LESLIE TREVOR 3IOORE, aged 23, single, a lorry driver of Tiniroto. Injured Leonard Naylor, aged 45, a station hand of Tiniroto. The accident occurred So miles from Gisborne on tho Gisborne-Wairoa via Tiniroto highway. The men had spent Saturday evening in Gisborne and were returning home to Tiniroto when the accident occurred. kloorc died in the hospital. Naylor is not seriously injured. ELDERLY CYCLIST’S FATAL INJURIES Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 25. Fatal injuries were suffered by 3fr. James Cowden, aged 61, when he fell from a bicycle in Antigua Street on Saturday night. 3tr. Cowden was married and lived at 22 Ward Street, Addington. MOTOR MISHAP ON HALCOMBE HIGHWAY TWO MAORIS IN HOSPITAL Two Maoris are in tho Palmerston 1 North Hospital suffering head injuries 1 as the result of an accident to the motor- . car in which they were travelling on the | Halcombe highway at about 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. According to information supplied to the police the . car got out of control when negotiating ! some loose metal and went down a bank. 1 The car was being driven by Aparaj hama Te Oke, a native, of Kai Iwi Pa, 1 near Awahuri, and contained as passen- | gers the following: Paklra Poutama, : aged about 80 years; Hika Poutama, of I a like age; Jack Poutama, aged 28 years; Betty Poutama, aged four years; and Len ltewai, about 26 years of age. ' At the time of the accident To Oke was proceeding to the Kalcariki Pa from Halcombe, where he had called with Rewai. and Poutama to pick up elderly relations. They had been shearing at Ngaio station and were returning to Kakariki when a call was made for Mr. and Mrs. Poutama. ’ The Feilding police were advised of the accident and Constable Strawbridge * with Dr. W. 31. Maclaurin proceeded to the scene. An ambulance was summon- ’ ed and Hika Poutama and Jack Poutama were sent to hospital suffering from head injuries. . MISHAP AT OPIKI A young man named John Basil Orr, aged 21 years, employed on an Opiki farm, was admitted to the Palmerston 0 North Hospital yesterday suffering from 3 cuts on the head and shock as a result of rl a motoring mishap near tho Raugitane a toll bridge. The car left the road at a a bend and hit ft strainer post, the impact i ripping off a wheel and damaging the car considerably in other ways. He was

1 unconscious when found, the tree ‘ Ambulance conveying him to hospital. t MISHAP IN GORGE Considerable damage was sustained E by a car when it struck a telegraph 3 pole in the Manawatu Gorge on Sun- ) day morning. The driver was Mr. William P. Hope, of 43a Perguson Street, - Palmerston North, retired postmaster, ; who was proceeding towards Wood ville. The mishap occurred while he was passing another car, one wheel going over the edge of the concrete wall protecting traffic from the drop •, down to the river. Mr. Hope escape I i injury, but his wife was slightly hurt a in the chest. f