A MOTOR TRAGEDY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 9038, 30 December 1907, Page 2

A MOTOR TRAGEDY.

A tragedy unequalled in the history of motoring happened cently in the country road between Marlow and Greenlands, the Buckinghamshire seat of the Hon. W. F. D. Smith, M.P. Herbert Winfield, the head coachman to Mr Smith, who was also an expert motor car driver, was driving two ladies in Mr Smith’s car from Marlow to Greenlands.

For several miles the journey was made without incident. Suddenly, however, as the car, driving at full ordinary speed, was nearing Hambledon, within a mile of its destination, it swerved, and dashing into a fence at the side of the road, came to a standstill. The two ladies, startled by the sudden stoppage, called to the chauffeur, asking what was the matter. There was no answer, and they quickly alighted and stepped to the man’s side. To their amazement they found that he was dead His last act had been to apply “-the brake, and his foot, although hejjwas dead, still pressed down the brake pedal. There is little doubt that but for this fact a serious disaster would have occurred. As it was, the two ladies had a very narrow escape from injury, for the car had smashed the fence and was itself slightly damaged by the impact, The two ladies were terribly shocked by their discovery, and quickly summoned assistance. The chauffeur’s body was taken from the car and carried home on an improvised litter.