FATALITY AT RAILWAY CROSSING.

Otaki Mail, 20 October 1922, Page 2

FATALITY AT RAILWAY CROSSING.

EXPRESS CRASHES IXI'.U LORRY. ONE MAN KILLED AND ANOTHER INJURED. The railway crossing on the north side of She Porirua railway station was the scene of a shocking fatality on Wednesday -by which one man was killed and another severely injured. The fatal occurrence was brought about by the alternoon express to Auckland colliding with a motor lorry on the crossing, the lorry driver iMr i. E. Canning) .being killed instantly, and his companion [Mr !•'. J. Patten) badly injured. It appears that the lorry was bound for Levin to take up tftie service between Levin and Wellington on behall of Mr F. Patten, jun., whose vehicle met with a mishap on Monday. Mr Patten then arranged with Messrs. Munt, Cotterill and Co.. the well known Wellington carriers, for the use of one of their lorries, and this was proceeding to Levin as slated when disaster overtook it.

i The lorry with its two occupants left \ the city about 11.30 ou Wednesday, ana a stop was made at the Porirua accom- ! modation house at lunch time, atterwards resuming the journey. The Auckland express was approaching at ! ('his time, and it ran through the Porirua station and reached the crossing just at the moment when tlie lorry was in the act of passing over the rails. The lorry driver had apparently not seen the approaching train, and in an instant the express crashed into | the vetiicle just to the rear of the ! driver"s cab, shattering it to fragments and killing Mr Canning instantly, his body being found some distance away terribly mutilated. Dr. • Moiiaghan. of the Porirua Mental Asylum's staff, "'as quickly in attendance, ' and after ascertaining that Mr- Cun- . ning was dead, ordered Mr Patten's | removal to the Wellington Hospital. 1 So great was the impact that the ex--1 press engine was damaged to such an [extent that it was unable to proceed J with the train, and an engine had to be dispatched from Jolmsonville to 'take the train on. This was done, the express resuming its journey a little over an hour late.

Mr Canning- was a married man with two children and resided in Wellington. He had been in the employ of Messrs. Munt, and Cotterill for many years, and was one of the firm's most reliable drivers. Mr Patten is a married man and a resident of Petone, 53 years of age. On examination after admission to the Wellington Hospital lie was found to be suffering from a fractured jaw and shock. Late last night hi* condition was <staled to be not serious, and he was doing as well as could be expected. He is the father of Mr F, ,T. Patten, of Levin. The lorry was practically empty at the time of the collision, the load comprising a number of egg crates belonging to the Levin Poultry-keepers' Association. These, as can be imagined, were much knocked about, and were brought on to Levin tfhis morning.