Coach Accident in Patea.

Patea Mail, 24 April 1882, Page 3

Coach Accident in Patea.

SERIOUS INJURY; to PASSENGERS

The coach from Waverley station was coming into Patea about noon to-day, and after crossing the bridge and passing Mr Mnllrin’s hotel, the conch began the rise towards Mr Odgers’s hotel. Drays bad been removing sand from a high frontage near the bridge, placing the spoil near the road to widen it by levelling up the sides. The road at that point was formerly raised above the flat to improve the grade, but this left the roadway narrow, like a railway embankment with eloping sides, and, there is barely room for two vehicles Jo pass. As the coach approached the new sand-heap on the outside, a few ‘ chains past Mullen's" hotel, a - dray was tipped to empty its load. This operation frightened the two leading horses of the coach, and they, veered awaydrom the sand towards the other slope. They did not swerve 1 rapidly, as the driver, Mr During; was trying to rein them in to the roadway, Two passengers were on the box seat,. Mr. Wanklyn and Mr Wyllie; of Hawera; and it is said that both tried to seize the reins to help Mr During. Mr Wyllie did grasp and tug at the reins, while the driver was engaged in steadying the leaders back to the road-line ;' and it is said Mr Wyllie made the mistake of tugging at the wrong’reins/ the effect’ being to pull the horses near the side to which they were inciinedeto swerve; iiThey thus got over the edge and plunged dowm the slope six or eight feet to the fiat. Down went the coach, turning on its side/and falling almost bottom upward, the, angle bejng steep. Passengers were thrown im all directions,- those inside being violently mixed by falling on' each' other. The driver and two front passengers escaped unhurt; and the horses, were so. kept r in , hand by' . ;i! the : .driver" ithat they did not"; "get■ hurfe : at- T all. ■ Six passengers inside were mostlyfortmiate, but not all. One youth about eighteen got a , bad knock on, the head, probably against' the.light ironwork iof the coach, causing concussion of the brain;’ though the scalp was not broken. He fell on Constable Burrows, of Waverley, who got.hurt on., the right shoulder by the youth’s foot. Two or three other insidepassengers had bruises or slight cuts, of litth* .consequence,

The. worst injury was to a passenger on .‘die back 1 seat-.where three sat. Mr. George' Hutchinson, solicitor from Wanganui, also the father of the youth mentioned, and another, passenger were thrqwn out from the tailboard : and Mr. Hutchison iw«s,hurt so badly that be lay on the -grburid unconscious, continuing in that state for a long iiriie.’

The injured youth, named Alfred Arnold, was carried to Mr Mullen’s, hotel, and while a doctor was being fetched, y'ourig Arnold had a succession of violent fits, his" brain being affected. Constable .Qfozier ; and .other men bad great: difficulty in. holding him during : thosfr. ravings.’ Dr Croft arrived, alter' some delay l (the doctor being at first nnwillirig to attend to any'patient unless

brcriglit to his surgery);' and the youth’s wound being rdressed, ,fie gradually, became sensible, .Probably he will not be much worse hfter a short time. Arnold’s father Was thrown into painful distress while 1 wktching his' son’s ravings, huVhe quieted down as. the son recovered, consciousness.. . . . Con stable ; Barrows was also oyercome > with faintness soon after his injury, but recovered rhpidly, and was able 1 , to return to 1 Waverley by the,, afternoon coach, r 7 ... ~. i Mr. Hutchison’s condition l , was the most.; serious. He l seemed all but lifeless, and an abrasion across the temple was supposed to indicate serious injury. The coach being righted, the unhurt passengers gotJn , and proceeded .up the hill to the' Albion Hotel, and' on to Hawera. Mr Hutchison was also, carried in .the coach to the Albion/Hotel, and was .there attended by Dr Keating. Mr Hutchison continued unconscious about

an lionr, i.ml then came round rapidly. His head was found to be hardly hurt at all. hnt the right shoulder was badly injured, though apparently not broken. A large lump swelled on the shoulderblade, where he may have struck one of the irons of the coach frame. He is now so much recovered" that; he talks of travelling (perhaps to-morrow) without further rest.

If is to be hoped the narrow roadway from Patea bridge to the main street will lie widened without delay. Tin’s coach accident could not have happened if the horses had been on a roadway of suitable width. The .widening of Bedford street, as this approach is named, is the first work schediiled for construction out ot the proposed loan of £5,000.