ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 4 June 1917, Page 4

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

ANOTHER MOTOR ACCIDENT. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. A motor acident that might have terminated in several deaths occurred on the hill just this side of Mangaweka township yesterday. As Mr. George Wrightson was motoring with his family to Mangaweka he met Mr. J. G. Turnbull, of the i'ora Motor Garage, returning. Mr. Wrightson drew his car well out of the way—in fact unnecessarily clear —on to the edge of the road, rendered slimy by rec3nt cleaning out of the water table. The car had come to a standstill when the slimy ground under the hind wheel gave way and the car commenced going over the hill into the ravine below. Mr. Wrightson's lad jumped from the car without sustaining any injury and saw the car go over on to his parents and sister. It is indeed nothing short of miraculous that the fine huge car did not smash the lives out of Mr. and Mrs. Wrightson and their daughter, upon whom it was overturned. The car . continued rolling down the hill, leaving portions of its make-up at various places in its course. Mr. Wrighson had some ribs broken and a shoulder injured; Mrs. Wrightson got off with a shaking and a scratch in the forehead; while Miss Wrightson seems to have fared very badly indeed. She sustained a fracture of the leg just below the knee and a broken bloodvessel elsewhere. Both Mr. Wrightson and Miss Wrightson are doing well under Dr. Mac Diarmid's care. The car looks a total wreck, pieces of it being scattered all around. It is being gathered together to-day, and will be brought on to Taihape. The accident occurred under most unusual circumstances, as it resulted entirely from over. caution. The road giving way under the back wheel was really what caused the car to go over. If this had been realised at once all could have jumped clear.