GIRL OF 19 KILLED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21231, 30 September 1940, Page 9

GIRL OF 19 KILLED

WOMAN KILLED

PINNED UNDER CAR

THREE PASSENGERS HURT SOLDIER’S CONDITION SERIOUS (By Telegraph.—Speeial to Times) AUCKLAND, Sunday A girl of 19 was killed and three passengers, including two soldiers, injured in the capsize of a motorcar near Bombay yesterday afternoon. The victims were: Killed M?js Valmai June Sharplin, waitress, aged 19, of 31 Karaka Street, Newton. Her parents live at Karaka, Papakura. Injured Private Herbert Kitchener McCauley, married, aged 24. of Ngaruawahia military camp, formerly of Lumsden, Southland: severe concussion and head injuries. Private John Niven Murch, single, aged 24, also of Ngaruawahia camp, and formerly of Invercargill: severe shock. Miss Edith Beasley, waitress, aged about 19, of 31 Karaka Street, Newton; shock and head injuries. Intending to go for a trip to Hamilton and back, the party hired the car, a small sedan model, in Auckland and left early in the afternoon. Just over the crest of the hill, where the steep descent to Pokeno begins, the car skidded, struck a small drain at the side of the road, and overturned, landing on its hood facing toward Auckland. Caught Beneath Car Miss Sharplin, who was driving, was caught beneath the car when the door on her side opened. The other passengers were severely shaken as the car turned over, and Private McCauley was unconscious. Dr. A. T. Begg, of Pukekohe, attended the injured until they were taken to the Auckland Hospital. The car was considerably damaged, the chassis and roof being twisted and bent. Private McCauley was still unconscious when admitted to the hospital, and his condition was fairly serious last night. The condition of Miss Beasley and Private Murch was not serious. DIVE INTO STREAM BUS CRASHES INTO BRIDGE FIVE PASSENGERS INJURED (By Telegrapn.—Special to Times) OPOTIKI, Sunday As the result of a passenger bus crashing into a bridge at Tirohanga early this morning, five people were injured and admitted to the Opotiki Hospital. The victims were Mrs Alan Swinton. Mrs Charles Mitai, Miss Hene Stirling, Miss Mika Eruera and Mr Robert Crawford, all resident at Waihau Bay, Raukokore. They were all suffering from concussion, cuts and shock. The bus, which is owned by Mr W. Walker, of Waihau Bay, had been hired to take basketball players and ethers to Opotiki, and was being driven by a Maori youth, Mr W. Atiata. There were 19 passengers. It was on the return journey about 4 a.m. and when negotiating two bends at the Tirohanga Stream bridge that it crashed into the right-hand post of the bridge and dived into the stream, which is several feet deep. Fortunately the vehicle did not capsize. The passengers in the back of the bus were thrown violently forward and several were unconscious. The bridge has long been regarded as dangerous and a tender for the erection of a new structure on a better alignment of the road was let some time ago. As an economy measure the Main Highways Board decided recently not to proceed with the construction of the new bridge in the meantime.

CAR GOES OVER BANK I (By Telegraph.—Pres* Association) HASTINGS, Sunday A woman aged 60, Miss Winifred Dorothy Sergeant, of Napi/er, was killed when a car left the road near the Mohaka bridge, on th£ NapierTaupo highway, yesterday, and plunged 30ft down a bank. .The driver of the car, Mr William Moore Barton, aged 50, of 48a Stanley Point Road, Devonport, suffered shock and bruises. His condition not serious.

MAN KILLED RTf TRAIN (By Telegraph.—Presa Association) PALMERSTOhf N., Sunday A Maori, Mr Gedrge Tongariro, aged 45, married, vl- as killed by a train a mile and a-hfalf south of Koputaroa last night./ Mr Tongariro was on his way honne from the races at Foxton. J