TWO KILLED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22909, 4 January 1940, Page 6

TWO KILLED

CAR STRUCK.BY TRAIN

ACCIDENT AT LEVEL CROSSING

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER THE VICTIMS

(PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, January 3. Two women, a mother and her daughter, were killed to-night when a motor-car of which they were the only occupants was struck by- the Ro-torua-Auckland passenger train at the Motumaoho level crossing, about two miles from'Morrinsville. The victims were:—■ Mrs Laura Smith, aged 64 years, wife of Mr Maurice Smith, of Puriri, near Thames. Agnes Constance Walton Smith, aged 24 years, of Puriri. Miss Smith was driving the car in the direction of Puriri. The car was completely wrecked, and the occupants were killed immediately, both suffering terrible head and internal injuries. Miss Smith was thrown on a bank beside the crossing. Her mother was carried into .an old sand pit, 12 yards away from the road. So great' was the impact that the body of the car was torn completely from the chassis, and hurled a chain away. Mr Smith and his family worked a small farm near Thames. The police and a doctor were quickly oh the scene, and the victims taken back to Morrinsville. The train was not damaged. ' About two years ago the Public Works Department contemplated erecting an overbridge to eliminate j this level crossing. However, after several reinforced concrete piles had. been constructed, the work was abandoned. The concrete piles remain in- a paddock alongside the scene of to-night's accident. This is the second fatal accident to occur at level crossings near Morrinsville within six weeks.. The other was when a motor-lorry driver was killed at the Piako crossing on the east side of the town.