DEATH’S TRAGIC HARVEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 551, 2 January 1929, Page 1

DEATH’S TRAGIC HARVEST

Holiday Motoring Smashes

WO CARS WRECKED BY TRAINS

DEATH reaped a tragic harvest among motorists on New 1 ear s Day. Level-crossings were responsible for two shocking smashes. At Horotiu, near Hamilton' three persons were fatally injured when the Rotorua-Auckland express struck a car containing the driver and four passengers. A girl of 13 was killed and six other persons seriously injured at a crossing near Christchurch Both cars were hopelessly wrecked. An infant was crushed through a oifr oi erturning near \\ aiuku. Other minor motoring* accidents are reported.

(From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, To-day. Three people are dead and two others in a critical condition as the result of a shocking levelcrossing smash at Horot'u yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The express from Kotorua to Aucknd crashed into a motor-car containg five people. The casualty list is as follows; KILLED MRS. LINDSAY ANDERSON, aged , of 185 Remuera Road, Auckland. MRS. ALICE ARMSTRONG, aged 39. Horotiu. MISS VIOLET HOWSE, aged 30, of py Street, Ellerslie, Auckland. CRITICALLY INJURED Mr Alexander Armstrong, aged 42. Horotiu- scalp wounds, dislocated •ist, and shock. He is also ill with thma. Miss Molly Armstrong, aged 9, of >rotiu, abdominal injuries, scalp >unds and severe shock. The smash occurred within a few ndred yards of Mr. Armstrong’s me. Mr. Armstrong, who had bought the r only a few months ago, was driving id with him in the front seat were his ife and daughter. Miss Howse, Mrs. ■mstrong’s sister, and Mrs. Andern. Miss Howse’s niece, were in the ick seat.

The car was midway across the rails hen it was struck in the middle by le express, which was travelling at ) mijes an hour. Pieces of the broken car were thrown i all directions and the main part of is car was carried on to the cattle ops, from which it had to be extriited. Passengers who were on the train ate that the driver whistled several mes as he approached the crossing, lie road approach to the crossing is vel for about half a chain, but here that there is a deep depression the road. Mr. Armstrong stated ter the accident th*t someone in lie car told him that the line was ear.

The party was returning to Horotiu rom Wailii, where they had been amping since Saturday. Mrs. Armstrong died within a few linutes of being extricated from the rrecked car. Miss Howse was immeditely removed to the Waikato Hospiil, where she died an hour and a-half iter. Mrs. Anderson, formerly Miss Phyls Howse, died in the Waikato Hosital this morning. Miss Molly Armstrong is still seriusly ill in the hospital. Mr. Armtrong was taken to his home, but e became so ill afterwards that he ad to be admitted to the hospital. Some quick work in transferring the jured to the Waikato Hospital was me by the hospital ambulance, driven r Mr. Arthur Turner. The hospital atron, Miss A. G. Keddie, and Sister mglas both went to the scene of the icident and assisted Or. O. O. Wartin, of Ngaruawahia, with the jured. Mr. J. Hannan, of Auckland, driver the express, pulled up the train in remarkably short time. An inquest on the victims of the icident will be opened to-morrow at lUnilton. INE DEAD, SIX INJURED ERRIBLIE SMASH NEAR CHRISTCHURCH TWO FAMILIES INVOLVED (Special to THE SUNj CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. One girl dying, six persons ser•uely injured, and a wrecked li®tor-car lying by the railway line •■thus ended the holiday of two South Canterbury families, file driver of the wrecked % Bertrand A de Latour • • < • PA South Canterbury. V v re Iwife and infant, and i nth: .a of p * W. Benson, of . dbi:.*:* The N* occurred at V -v. • .ossing Perday. The dex* casualties pllis Irene Ber. on. i 13 severe external and in? •. ■ injuries. She Tvae unconscious .1 died an hour later. Rita May de Latour, aged 26, injuries to head and back, suffering from severe shock and in a very serious condition. Benson, aged 4 years, compound fracture of left leg and cuts *nd shock, believed to have internal *Juri:s, and in a very critical condition •Krend Aubrey de Latour, aged 27, ••Vero face and body injuries, in a serious condition. ~r* Benson, aged 11 years, severe cuts jo body, legs and thigh. Condition serious. r * vor Benson de Latour, aged six tnonths, cuts to arms and head. ** Benson, aged six years, cuts a *i<i bruises. The two families were coming in arw r * to vis; t Mr - L - Bellett, of Richetn iJ?° W€nt to Rolleston to meet; oe three cars kept fairly close nt ,. * r » 'vith Mr Bellett’s in the lead, e ®hortly before the accident. Mr. hen * , r ’ w *io was driving a new car, ard lead and was some 200 he t « front when Mr. Bellett saw imm^ a n approaching the crossing lr dn^ eoUsly with the ill-fated car. »g g«a Latour appeared to be chang-

T-he next instant the car was struck on the rear wheels and hurled to the roadside. It was smashed to pieces. Mr. Bellett pulled up beside the wreck and the train stopped a short distance on. Phyllis Benson had been thrown across the cattle-stops. She was unconscious and dyings Mrs. de Latour was lying under the car with her infant in her arms. Mira Benson was also under the wreckage. Josephine de Latour was about 20ft away beside a post, against which she had -evidently been hurled She was unconscious. Mr. de Latour crawled from under the wreckage bleeding from the head. One car took four of the children into the Christchurch Hospital, while a private car, .which arrived on the scene, took the remainder. Mr. de Latour this morning had recovered enough to make a statement. He said, it was not until the engine was upon him that he was aware of any danger. He had been keeping a good look out. He heard no whistle.

FATAL CAPSIZE OF CAR INFANT KILLED NEAR WAIUKU SWERVE AND TYRE BURST A tragic accident occurred on the Maioro Hoad, Waiuku, yesterday morning, at eight o’clock, when Alice May Wilson, aged six months, daughter of Mrs. Wilson, of KLaikohe, was killed instantly. Her head was crushed in the windscreen when the car overturned. The car was driven by Mr. C. F. Batt, of Malvern Road, Morningside. With him he had Mrs. Bate and their daughter, Mrs. Wilson, and her child. While travelling up the Maioro Hill the car swerved at a corner and the left front tyre blew out. Mrs. Wilson grabbed the steering wheai and the car overturned. Mr. Batt was badly bruised on one shoulder and Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Batt received minor injuries and severe shock. Dr. Howden, of Waiuku, attended the injured people. AGED WOMAN KILLED Press Association DUNEDIN, Tuesday. The death of Mrs. Busscrah Helps, aged 75, occurred at a late hour last night from injuries received through being knocked down in King Street by a motor-car driven by Mr. John McGregor, service station proprietor. An inquest was opened to-day and adjourned. PEDESTRIAN KNOCKED DOWN Press Association OAMARU, Tuesday. When all-. John Brown, aged 53, was crossing Thames Street this morning he was knocked down by a motor vehicle. He is suffering from a broken pelvis and a broken ankle. CAR’S DOUBLE SOMERSAULT FOUR HURT AT DUNEDIN Press Association DUNEDIN, Tuesday. A motor-car travelling to Dunedin to-day skidded on some loose metal at Fairfield and somersaulted twice over a bank. The driver, Mr. Frederick Irvine Kensington, was badly cut about the head, and the other occupants of the car, Mr. Ivan Chapman and his four-vear-old son, of Dunedin, and Mr. Alfred Fowler, of Invercargill, were also hurt. Mr. Chapman received a. broken arm. Mr. Fowler and the boy had their faces badly cut. The car was considerably damaged. CAR AND TRUCK COLLIDE THREE HURT IN SMASH Press Association WAIMATE, Tuesday. Abrasions to the head and a broken collar-bone were suffered by Frederic* Jones when a service car and a light truck collided this afternoon. The truck was conveying seven persons from Studholme. Misses Adamson and Anderson received head injuries and are suffering from shock. No passengers in the service car were hurt.