SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.

Shannon News, 7 April 1922, Page 3

SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.

■ | LORRY CRASHES THROUGH A | BRIDGE. ! The Pahiatua Herald states that ' about 7 o’clock yesterday morning a . big Leyland motor lorry, loaded with \ three huge white pine logs, crashed ! through the bridge from about 20ft ' or 25ft on the Pahiatua side of the 1 structure. The lorry was driven by ' Mr W. J. Close, of Levin, who has a , contract for conveying logs from Hopelands to Cunningham’s timber , yards in Pahiatua. He has been in ( the habit of making several trips a day. The estimated aggregate weight of lorry and load is nearly a dozen 1 tons. The driver had the'presence of j mind to remain in the cab of the . vehicle, and had the good fortune to • escape unhurt. The accident appears • to have resulted by the rear portion of the lorry suddenly crashing j through, for the ends of the Jogs are resting firmly in a few feet of water, I and' the lorry remaining upright in | an almost perpendicular position, the engine partly facing up stream, enI abling the driver to climb out over 1 the on to the shattered structure. The lorry itself appears to have i sustained no damage, but a large i quantity of oil was finding its way , into the river. In consequence of the j mishap, a lot of children were unable to attend the Mangatainoka ' school, and the milk carts had to cross the river. A great number of ! people visited the scene of the accident. Residents of the locality state ’ they heard what seemed to be the 1 sound of a break in the decking yesI terday, and evidently the timbers were badly splintered to culminate :n ' the mishap, the structure having been 1 torn up and quite a big gap created i for some length. The cradi was plainly heard by those living in the , neighbourhood. The drop of the lorry through the bridge is estimated ! at about 20 feet.