FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 248, 19 April 1912, Page 5

FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

DEATH OF A RAILWAY CLERK. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston N., Thursday. A serious motor accident, which ended fatally, occurred at Longburn, four miles from Palmerston North, late last night, whereby a railway clerk, named Field, lost his life. Field was chatting with the stationmaster, Downes, in the road, opposite the railway station, when he was knocked down by a motor-car, which was coming towards them, and thrown right off the road. Dr. Martin went down in a car to the scene of the accident and after temporarily attending to the injured man brought him to a private hospital, where he died this morning. He sustained a fracture at the base of the skull, and bruises in various parts of the body, and was bleeding profusely from the ears, nose and mouth. Percy Field, the victim of the accident, had only been in Longbum nine months, having come from Waiwera South, where his parents reside. A statement was made by Downes to the effect that neither he nor the victim heard or noticed the car till it was right on them Field was carried about thirty paces. Downes cannot account for the accident. J. M. Milner was driver of the car, end he had three passengers. In a statement to the police he declared that they were travelling slowly, having just passed the railway crossing. The horn was sounded and the car was on the right side of the road. They also cannot account for the accident. They found the car suddenly on two men, one of whom jumped right in front. An inquest will be held before a jury to-morrow.