ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1919, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

TWO MEN DROWNED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. The Invercargill police have been informed that George Aitkenhead and Thomas Fitzgerald, buslifellers, employed by a farmer between Hedgehope and Tussock Creek, were drowned in the Makarewa River, which runs through the farmer's property. This evening they were crossing the river, which was in flood, but no further details are yet known.

MOTOR ACCIDENTS. A motor accident occurred in Brougham Sttfet. at about 10 minutes to 11 on Saturday night, whereby a man named Dufjill was knocked down by a car driven by L. Jury. The car had turned from Devon Street, having coma from the east end of the town, and was going slowly at the time, and Dnffill got in the way of the car. Dr. Wade attended him and ordered his removal to the hospital. A more serious occurrence took place on the main road, near the Bell Block factory, early on Saturday evening. A motor car coming into town collided with a motor cycle, on which were two young men, going in the opposite direction. The driver of the motor car, a man named Smith, a farmer, of Urenui, who was accompanied by Mr. E. S. L. Mouat, stated that when near the Bell Block factory ho was travelling slowly and saw nothing along the road but the dazzling headlight of another car. When the approaching car was about five chains away he had to put his head round the wind screen to see on account of the bright lights of the approaching car. He was slowing down at the time. The first he knew of an accident was the sound of breaking glass, and his car had been pulled practically off the road to the right hand side by tliat „traie. When he got out he found he had run into a motor cycle and two men, one named Longstaff, of Waitara, and the other Thos. McKay, Hine Street, New Plymouth. They Were both badly injured and the cycle was smashed. The men were attended by Dr. Blackley and taken to the hospital by Mr. S". Washbourne, who was In the car approaching from the opposite direction.

Mr. Washbourne stated that at the tirje there was a motor cycle in front of him, but he did not know whether it carried any light. He saw the dazzling lights of a car coming towards him. and he dimned his lights as a signal to the other car to do the same, but got no resnonse. Just at the time of the collision the cur appeared to cross the road on its wrong side.