EXPRESS STRIKES CAR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19114, 24 September 1927, Page 14

EXPRESS STRIKES CAR.

ANOTHER CROSSING SMASH. OCCUPANTS' NARROW ESCAPES. ' When the light motor-car in which thev were travelling was struck by the North express at the Bligh's road level crossing yesterday morning, Mr H. Black, electrical engineer of 10a North road, PapanuC and one of his employees Mr N.' E.Browne, 18 Railway street, Papanui, had a remarkable escape from death. The force of the collision can bo iudged from the fact that parts of the car were carried along the railroad for aibout 60 feet, and the car was badly smashed. , . Although neither occupant was' injured, the shook sustained was, severe, and both men were decidedly shauy

after their escape. The car was travel Ling in a westerly direction, and Mr Black was driving. Neither he nor Mr Browne heard the whistle of the approaching engine, and the first warning they received was when they saw the engine on the cattle stops. The car was then less than five yards from the crossing. The driver immediately swerved to the left in an attempt to bring the car to a step parallel with the train. He managed to avoid colliding with the engine, but the first of the carriages caught the left hand front side of the car, wrenching the mudguard and radiator off and pulling the car back to a right angle position to the train. As each carriage passed it added to the damage to the car, breaking the chassis clean off under the engine and reducing to absolute ruin the left front side of the car. • The train was immediately pulled up, coming to a stop about 100 yards on the north side of the crossing. \V hen it was ascertained that no one was injured, the train pulled on, no damage having been done to the rolling stock.