FOUR KILLED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 April 1939, Page 5

FOUR KILLED

TRAGIC MOTOR ACCIDENT NEAR MOTUEKA VICTIMS MAN, WIFE & TWO SONS. THREE DAUGHTERS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) MOTUEKA. April'll. Four persons, a man, his wife, and their two young sons were killed, and three daughters were injured near Motueka last evening, when a car in which they were travelling left the roadway, crashed down a 15-foot bank and overturned into about three feet of water in a waterhole. The victims were: — Killed. John 'William Graves, labourer, Umukuri, aged about 30 years. Joan Mary Graves, his wife, aged about 27. Cyril Graves, their son, aged 11. ■Keith Graves, another son, aged 8. Injured. Irene Graves, aged 9. Marilyn Graves, aged 5. Josephine Graves, aged 4. The extent of the injuries to the girls could not be ascertained, but it is known they were removed to the Nelson Public Hospital. The four killed all received severe head injuries, but it was not ascertained last night whether death was in every case due to injuries or drowning. One boy was thrown clear of the car, but the vehicle had to be jacked up before the injured girls and the other bodies could be removed. A baby in the car escaped injury. The car, driven by Mr J. Graves, was travelling toward Motueka when it left the road at a slight bend near Price's corner, about seven miles from Motueka. The vehicle fell about 15 feet from the roadway, crashed through a clump of willows before overturning in the waterhcle. It was an old model tourer and was badly wrecked. The hood was smashed in and considerable difficulty was met with in removing the body of Mr Graves. HEAD=ON COLLISION EIGHT PEOPLE IN HOSPITAL. ONE IN DANGEROUS CONDITION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, April 10. A serious accident occurred in Cromwell early this evening, when two cars, one of which contained a party of cricketers from Dunedin, met in . a head-on collision outside Cromwell Hospital, eight people being admitted to the hospital. The injured are:— Andrew Mutineer, Scouler Street. Dunedin, internal injuries, dangerously ill. . Allan Edwards, Lochend Street, Dunedin, cuts and abrasions. Neville Russell. 14 Dundonald Street, Dunedin, cuts and abrasions. Ray Hunt, Forbury Road, Dunedin, cuts and abrasions. Alex Manson, 10 Alfred Street, Dunedin, cuts and abrasions. John Gray, farmer, Hawea, fractured kneecap. Fanny Rita Gray, married woman, Hawea. cut and shock. Allan Noel Gray, child, son of Mr and Mrs Gray. cuts. Mr Gray, who was accompanied by his wife, sister and four children, was driving from Cromwell toward Hawea and was negotiating a bend in the road opposite the Cromwell Hospital when his car collided with a smaller vehicle carrying five members of the High School Old Boys' cricket team, which was travelling in the opposite direction. The impact was severe and the car carrying the cricketers capsized, broken glass being responsible for most of the injuries received by the Dunedin party. With the exception of Mr Mutimer, who was gravely injured internally, the cricketers, though fairly badly cut by flying glass, were not seriously injured. In the other car Mr Gray, the driver, received a fractured knee cap and bruises, his wife and one of the children being the only other occupants of the vehicle to suffer injuries, which were also caused by broken glass. Both cars were very extensively damaged. INJURIES FATAL. DEATH OF ANDREW MUTIMER. ißy Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, This Day. Andrew Mutimer. one of the eight persons injured in the Cromwell smash died in hospital this morning. MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH FATALITY AT GRAND PRIX MEETING. CRASH INTO FALLEN MACHINE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 10. Fatal head injuries were received by Maurice Karetai. aged 24, Lake Coleridge, a competitor at the New Zealand Grand Prix motor-cycle meeting in Oust today. Through trying to avoid another rider who had crashed when his front forks broke, Karetai hit the fallen machine. He died in hospital. The other rider suffered minor injuries.