ROAD TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1939, Page 6

ROAD TRAGEDY

FOUR PERSONS INCINERATED IN SMALL CAR

FOLLOWING ON CAPSIZE INTO DITCH.

IDENTIFICATION OF VICTIMS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day.

There Was a fire tragedy at 2 o’clock this morning a mile north of Papakura, nineteen miles from Auckland.

A small car, apparently proceeding to Auckland ran into a ditch, capsized and caught fire. Other motorists who arrived on the scene found the car blazing too fiercely to allow them to render assistance.

Four people were incinerated. Two of the bodies have not been identified, but the police believe the members of the party were:—

William Miller Weymouth, aged about 30.

iviaurice Warderton, aged about 40, of Manurewa.

Walter Ernest Briggs, age unknown of Brookby.

Miss Bessie Williams, waitress at the Papakura Hotel. These people have not returned home. The licensee of the Papakura Hotel told a reporter that two of the men named called at the hotel yesterday and asked Miss Williams to go to a dance at Patumahoe, near Pukekohe. He was told last evening that Miss Williams had gone to the dance. She had been employed in the hotel since Christmas, having come from Waipu, North Auckland.

it is surmised that the car was returning from Patumahoe, in the direction of Auckland. It was seen to plunge off the road on what is known as the Takanini Miraight, by Mr Eric Turner, of Wairenga, who was driving an approaching car. He and his companions jumped out. As they were rushing to the upturned car, it burst into flames.

They called: “Is there anyone inside?”

A man’s voice replied: “Yes, but we can’t get out.” Mr Turner was accompanied by two men and a woman passenger. They tried to approach the car, but were driven back by the intense heat. Realising they were unable to help, Mr Turner and a companion, Mr Robert Kelly, drove to the Papakura Police Station. Two constables with fire extinguishers rushed to the scene, and half an hour later got the first body out of the burning car. It was an hour later before they got the other three out. The flames were not extinguished until the car had been destroyed. The charred skeletons of its occupants were unrecognisable. There was no personal property that could be identified. Three tins of very charred tobacco were found, also an enamel badge with an inscription obliterated. The police believe that two men were in the front seat, and Miss Williams with a man behind. The bodies were removed to the morgue at Papakura.