A RECENT ACCIDENT.

Shannon News, 13 April 1923, Page 4

A RECENT ACCIDENT.

Thus the N.Z. Farmer in referring to a recent accident at Otaki: A few weeks ago a motorist, in negotiating a turn on to a bridge on the main road near Otaki, underestimated his speed, with the result that instead of crossing the bridge the car crashed through the railing and landed in tho creek-bed upside down. Fortunately, the driver was one of the lucky sort, for, although he and two of the lady passengers were pinned underneath the car, none of them was seriously injured. The ca.r was left in the creek for a couple of days, and was then taken out and railed to Wellington —apparently a hopeless wreck. The steering wheel was knocked off, one of tho front wheels was damaged, and the chassis was badly knocked and twisted. Wings and running boards . were torn off, and one of tho bridge posts went through the radiator. When the wreck was taken off the train, the motor engineer to whom the job was entrusted was surprised to see that the engine and running parts were not affected, and further examination showed that there was a possibility that the car would run under her own power to the repair shop. Upon starting her up, the engine ran as sweetly as ever, and apparently suffered nothing from the force of the impact.

Tho car in question was one of the steam cars recently, imported into New Zealand, and after this terrible bump one might have expected the whole outfit to blow up; strange to say, every joint in the steam pipes were intact, and the engine, winch is well tucked aw r ay, was not even strained.