FARMER KILLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 268, 12 November 1935, Page 7

FARMER KILLED.

WIFE GRAVELY HURT.

RAILWAY CROSSING SMASH.

NO WARNING DEVICES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The victim of the crossing smash a<; Middleton early yesterday afternoon was Mr. Martin Joseph Crowe, a farmer, of Morven. Those who were injured were: Mrs. M. J. Crowe, who suffered severe head injuries, and Mr. E. W. Pidgeon, of Bealey Avenue, C'hristchureh, who suf* fered severe injuries and shock. There were no near witnesses of tho accident. The motor car, which -was. being driven to the Riccarton races, was following another car along the middla of Lincoln Road. The first car stopped while an outward-bound train passed over the Middleton crossing. An inward race train was approaching at the same time, but was obscured from the view of the second car by the outward train. The first car got across just in time, but the second, moving on to the crossing just as the guard's van of the outward train cleared it, was struck on the bonnet by the second train. The car was swung so violently that the three passengers were thrown, out. Mr. Crowe fell partly under tho engine. He was dragged along with his body caught in the driving rods until the engine was pulled up just over the cattle stop. His body was terribly mutilated. Mrs. Crowe was probably thrown against the train. Mr. Pidgeon was injured and dazed, but was sitting up before some workmen rushed to the crossing tc> render aid. Men working in the vicinity said that both trains whistled loudly on approaching the crossing, and that neither tho car nor the trains were travelling at a fast speed. It seems certain that the accident occurred because the driver's sight of the second train was obscured by the outward-bound train. There ie no warning signal or keeper at the crossing. During the last 12 days four persona have been killed and four injured on level-crossings in and near Chrietchurch.