REMARKABLE ESCAPE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 92, 29 January 1934, Page 6

REMARKABLE ESCAPE

CAR PLUNGES DOWN BANK. ARCHDEACON HAGGITT'S FAMILY. (Special to the •* Guardian-” > CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Skidding on a road made greasy by rain, a motor-car driven by Archdeacon P. B. Haggitt, and containing Mrs Haggitt and Miss Norah Haggitt, plunged down a steep, bank on the Green burn cutting between Kaikoura and Waiau yesterday aiternoon, and went into a creek 150 feet below. The occupants had an almost miraculous escape from serious injury, for in spite of the fact that the car turned over many times curing its descent they suffered nothing worse than small cuts and slight bruises. Archdeacon Haggitt, who was vicar of Merivale, Christchurch, for 18 years, was on his way to Nelson to take up a new appointment as Dean of that diocese. He had left “Sherwood,” the homestead of <M r E P. B. Burbury, Waiau, for Moodbank,” Clarence Bridge, the home of Mr A. J. Murray, and it was on the inland road, about 18 miles south of Kaikoura, that the accident took Pl <‘Wc are all safe, including the family cat, which was a passenger with'us in the car,” Archdeacon Haggitt told “The Press” when he was telephoned at Kaikoura ing. He said that he and his family had »liad a remarkable escape. T 1 road was greasy after ram, and « - though not travelling fast the cai skidded at a very sharp corner. Heaiy manuka scrub broke the force of t o vehicle’s plunge down the bank, there was a very nasty sheer diop ot 10 feet at the bottom, where the ca came to rest in a small creek. Although the travellers weie had y shaken they were able easll y scramble back on to the ioa , they were able to secure transport to Kaikoura, The car, a sedan.' was an almost , complete wreck. \ News of the accident quickly spread in Christchurch last evening, an many inquiries were receivedby I e Press” as to the injuries suffeied by Archdeacon Haggitt and Ins family.