FOXTON ROAD ACCIDENT.

Shannon News, 7 August 1928, Page 3

FOXTON ROAD ACCIDENT.

INQUEST OPENED AND

ADJOURNED.

WITNESS DESCRIBES LORRY'S

CAPSIZE.

: As a,result of the lorry accident,-an':, .the Ltviu-Foxton road on. Saturday morning, when John • Smart, of" Tarliape, -was killed, and; Charks Harding of Taihape, was seriously injured, ai inquest was opened at the Levin Court house, before Mr T. Brown, District'Coroner, on Saturday afternoon. _ ./;"" ' 'Evidence was giVeii pendale, carpenter, of Ellis' R'oa'd, Tai hape, an employee of Robertson .ant Slade, builders," whp;were ■.travelliii! ' u»ith the lorry conveying .111011 a.nt _.. materials intended ''for. a' contract'fl"' Wellington, He stateU' that, on ''Saturday morning, Robertson and Slad; hiinsfelf "and two others left Taihapi with, a' motor lorry for Wellington When about a mile, south of the Wii-c j kino Bridge, on' - the .Foxton-Le'vi/ j Road, they eaih'ev to a sharp bend oi the road. * -Instead of the lorry takinj the bend, it ran straight. 011 over th bank and capsized on to its' side Thomas Slade' was driving the lorry and' Albert Robertson and witnes.; Were riding in the cab with him. Johi' Smart and Charles Harding were-'rid iiig on the .back' of the lorry just be hind the cab. Witness .was -;:throwj..clear of the .lorry. He was stunned but as soon as he recovered he wen round to the., back of the lorry, aiu found Smart and Harding lying ■O. the ground between the lorry and th. load .He helped to "move them on t the bank. .John Smart died within few minutes. The police and doctor were sent for, and arrived, shortly- -al tc'rwa'rds. Harding was • sent to th PalmcTston North. Hospital. Witnes. had known the deceased,. Smart, fo fourteen years. Smart'was about' 4 I years of age and a bricklayer; he ha; j ai wife and one child, and. resided a Kaka Road, Taihape.' The lorry, i. witness's opinion was. not travelling a an excessive' speed,.; as. far.as he wj alJle to judge,' it : was . travelling, a aliout 20 miles an hour. He was.sK ting nex't to the driver, but .could no form any, opinion "as to the cause 0 . Mne lorry going over the bank. At tliis stage; the inquest was ad journed -sine die. . ' HARDING SLIGHTLY BETTER. On 'lnquiry, being'.'■ made after no'on by telephone,, it was ascertained that the condition' of Harding .showec a 'slight improvrtnent. ~i.

CRASH AT MANAKAU.

MOTOR-CYCLIST INJURED

Five chains on the north- side of. the 'railwav crossing at Manakau, at about'6 o'clock on Saturday evening, a collision occurred between a bread delivery van. driven by J. McFarlane, jun., of Levin, who was travelling north, and a motor-cycle ridden bv Gordon, Balt.t, aged '23, labourer, of Manakau. The cycle struck the front right-hand part of the van, and - the rider was thrown on to. the road. Mr McFarlane obtained help..from a nearby, residence, and the Misses Bryan) brought the two men by car to Levin, where Mr Batt received attentio'n from Dr, Thompson. Later in the .evening the injured man was conveyed by Mr McFarlane in a car to the Palmerston Hospital. Mr Batt was found to be suffering from a slight fracture of the skull and a pelvic injury, in addition to cuts and abrasions to the face. The report from the hospital this afternoon is that the patient passed n fair night and is now comfortable.

nON 'T FORGET—SOO. and Crib Tour- " hey in the Plunket 'RoouTs, Ballanee Street, on Thursday evening at 7.30 p.m. Good trophies and good supper", Admission 1/6-

PERSON found trespassing on; my property, Kingston Road, with-; out a permit from myself, will be prosecuted without further notice. ... „■'■•■& COLEY.