LEVEL CROSSING SMASH.

Shannon News, 9 April 1926, Page 4

LEVEL CROSSING SMASH.

Express Wrecks Laden Metal Lorry. AT TYNE STREET, LEVLN. MR T. JOHNSON SERIOUSLY INJURED. The tragic roil of level crossing accidents received a lamentable addition Wednesday Tyue Street, Levin, when the south-hound New Plymouth express crashed into a fully laden" metal lorry driven by Mr Thomas Johnson, with the result that the lorry was completely wrecked "and the driver- sustained very serious injuries. Thus a long local immunity from this class of mishap was broken in a way that caused a profound sensation m the community. The lorry was a 2& ton Republic owned by Mr A. Mottershead, who is carting metal far the County. .Mr Johnson was engaged yesterday in talcing metal from the Bartholomew Road pit to the Avenue, his shortest route lying via Tyne Street, which has long been regarded as a very difficult and dangerous 'crossing. The railway line from the north comes along a down grade and (between a high cutting,.while .the view from the east is f|urther obscured -by some willow trees. The 'road runs parallel With the line, hut with-a block or sections between, then crosses and turns at right angles each way, again running parallel, on the other side of the line, Tyne Street being the short length of six chains that crosses the % line. ,Just after four o'clock JM/r; J.ohnsojn was appiroajching the crossing from the direction of York Street East and according to various statements of eye-witnesses, he seems to have. slowed down probably to change. gears in view of the pull up to the crossing. Apparently he did not observe the ■approach, of the train for he went on to ,1116 crossing, where the heavy engine, travelling at 43 miles an hour, crashed into the laden lorry with terrific impact. The lorry was literally torn to pieces, and the .driver was thrown to one side with very serious injuries. Many people heard the impact arid aid'was speedily forthcoming. The, concussion was felt hy passengers throughout the train, which was quickly pulled up. Mr /Johnson was picked up and was attended to hy , Dr. Miller, of Palmerston, who was on ■ the train, and Dx. Bridgeman, of Levin, who was summoned. His • injuries Were found to he serious and he was removed to the Queen Street hospital, and later taken hy ambulance to the Palmerston Hospital. He had .sustained a fracture of the base of the skull, severe scalp wounds and .other injuries.

STATEMENTS OIF WITNESSES. The statements of residents living in the vicinty of Tyne Street show that the engine whistle was sounded some distance from where the engine struck, the lorry. Harry Clark, the fireman on tlie train, stated that at about 4.5 p.m. the engine was approaching the crossing and when about 200 yards away the whistle was blown. The lorry w;as then observed to he about 50 yards or so awuy from tlie metals, apparently travelling slowly, finally almost stopping, and then seemingly making an effort to get over the crossing. At that stage the engine was about 30 yards away and when tlie fireman saw that the lorry intended going io,ver lie shouted' to the engine-driver. The whistle was again blown and brakes applied, but the next moment there was a violent concussion and a terrific hail of metal, wood and steel hurtled against tlie cab. The fireman and driver (Mr A. E. Meachem) had sufficient time in which to duck down in tlie cab, otherwise they would undoubtedly have been injured by the flying debris, which smashed the window on the fireman's side completely in. The train was pulled uip some 200 yards away from where the impact occurred.

A lady living close to the scene stated six© saw the lorry going towards the spot at a very slow pace; that the engine whistled tout the lorry-driver, perhaps on account of the noise v of his engine, did not appear to have heard the whistle or the rumble of the train. Consequently, the' train must have been hut a few yards away when he saw ft was too late. She was so shocked with what she anticipated and saw that she almost fainted. Mr W. Tait, who, lives in York Street'West, states he heard the whistle blow when the train was beyond the Borough boundary. The next thing he heard was a terrific- sound of smashing wood and metal and he saw parts of the lorry being hurled above the telephone wires running parallel with the track. ' Mr G. Stanley, who lives about 100 yards from where the impact occurred, was first on the scene and found the unfortunate victim lying on the y embankment some 50 yards from where the engine struck the lorry.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC HELD UP. I Damage to the engine was confined I chiefly to one side, the connecting j rods being bent in the shape of an \ elbow, rendering propulsion an impossibility. The cylinder-covers were ( badly cracked, and even the smokehox door showed signs of extensive j damage. A break-down gang were J quickly on the scene and the work j of disconnecting the damaged parts j was commenced, the process taking j almost an hour to complete. The \ Auckland express had in the mean- ' time reached Levin, ajid when an ;

attempt to run .the damaged engine on one cylinder had failed, the Auckland engine was Drought into commission to tow the train to the Levin station. The local express from Pal-mers-ton was held up at Kopu'taroa, and when the New Plymouth train iiad reached Levin, this train was brought on to Levin and its engine was used to complete the final stage of the New Plymouth express's journey to Wellington, .leading Levin at 5.5 U p.m., nearly two hours, late. The disabled engine was repaired and sent on with the carriages belonging to the slow train. This train did not leave Levin until 0.15 p.m. Considerable anxiety was ielt by over fifty South island passengers on the New Plymouth train as to their connection with''the ferry steamer, but this was held up for half-an hour to enable them to transfer to tlie boat. When it was desired to- remove the sufferer from the scene it was found necessary to secure a stretcher lrom a near-by house, Mr M. Mortenson being able to supply the requirement, it being staled that the train did not carry this essential first-aid equipment. THE WRECKED LORRY. The lorry is' completely torn asunder, the front axle, with one wheel intact and the other a few remaining spokes on the hub, lying to tlie left of the crossing, while the other axle lies in a twisted mass on tlie.station side of the cattle stops, and the steering column and dash-board about 40 yards further along -on the right hand side. A little further along is the engine, ripped in one mass from the body and lying in a heap of rushes. The remaining portion of the body and chassis is scattered far and wide, portions of the woodwork being seen to drop into the adjoining paddock at an approximate distance of 60 or 70 yards. The steering-wheel, strange-ly-enough, is practically undamaged. The replacement value of the lorry was estimated at £llOO, and it was insured for £6OO. DRIVER IN CRITICAL CONDITION. The accident has caused a very painful impression in Levin, Mr Johnson being widely known and esteemed for his interest in local affairs. He had the reputation of being a most careful and experienced driver, well capable of handling large lorries. Unfortunately advice from Palmerston late this afternoon show that he was in a very low condition, and little hope was held out of his recovery. His worst injury is a depressed fracture of the skull, with the possibility of a further fracture at the base.