TWO PERSONS INJURED.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20787, 22 February 1933, Page 13

TWO PERSONS INJURED.

MOTOR-CYCLE COLLIDES WITH TRAIN. ACCIDENT AT HORNBY LEVEL CROSSING. . c A young Chinese and a European girl were injured last evening when the motor-cycle on which they were riding from Ashburton to Christchurch collided with the engine of the 4.50 So«th : bridge train, on the Hornby level crossing. Fortunately they were thrown clear of the train, the Chinese suffering a compound fracture of the right leg, while the girl, who was riding on the pillion seat, escaped with slight injuries to a leg and bruises. None of the officials of the train apparently was aware that an accident had occurred, and the train did not stop. The injured motor-cyclists were:— Thomas Young, of 471 Colombo street, Sydenham. Ivy Boyle, 4518 Colombo street, Sydenham. Young was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital, where he is reported j to be in a satisfactory condition,' while j Miss Boyle was treated as an out-patient j and discharged. , . The crossing on which the -accident j decurred is a right-angled one, and visibility is good on all sides", excepting to the right of traffic approaching Christcaurchi In this particular instance the train, which was just getting up speed after leaving the Hornby station, was on the motor-cyclist's left.. There' is no crossing-keeper or automatic warning device at the crossing, there being the usual "crossed boards" sign some distance back on each side of the line. Several accidents have occurred on this crossing, usually involving traffic going, toward Christchurch, drivers of vehicles having also to watch out for traffic on the road which runs parallel to th 6 railway line. According to an eye-witness of the accident, tie motor-cyclist did not appear to see the train until halfway over the Junction road, the road that runs parallel with the railway line. He was not travelling fast, but did not appear to make any great attempt to s.top. Just before hitting the train he slewed \the machine to the right, with- the result that he and his passenger were flung sideways from the engine. The motorcycle hit the engine at a point near the cylinder. It did not suffer much damage beyond the. buckling of the front mudguard, and was still in high gear when examined after the accident. The driver of the train apparently was watching the. other side of the line, and wan not aware that an accident had occurred. A number of passengers, however, saw tie occurrence and watched from the carriage windows a number of bystanders pick up the injured riders. The St. John Ambulance was summoned by telephone and the two were quickly removed to hospital.