TWO WOMEN KILLED

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24366, 19 September 1944, Page 6

TWO WOMEN KILLED

— TRAIN STRIKES CAR AT ASHBURTON One woman was killed and her mother received serious injuries from which she died about two hours later when a motor-car was struck by a train at a railway crossing at Ashburton yesterday morning. The victims were: Esme Hortensia Preddy, married, aged 37 years. 18 Peter street, Ashburton, Wife of Lieutenant W. J. Preddy, who is serving in the Pacific area. Hortense Clemence Ingram, married, aged 60 years, 18 Peter street, Ashburton, wife of Mr W. H. Ingram, Ashburton. ' V The car. , a light four-seater model, was being driven by Mrs Ingram with her daughter in the front seat They left the Ashburton Electric Power Board’s office and proceeded down to Kermode street railway crossing, slowing down to cross the rails. Just as the car was astride the. line it was struck alongside the driver’s seat by the Ti-maru-Ashburton slow train, being caught up on the front of the engine, where it was carried along over the Tancred street crossing (about seven chains), and was pulled off the engine after the train stopped. By the force of the impact the door on the left side of the car sprang open and Mrs Preddy was thrown on to the rails and killed, her body being badly mutilated by the train. Mrs Ingram was held in the csr by her coat, which was jammed between the seat and the sdoor and was removed when the train came to a standstill. She was taken to the Ashburton Hospital. . The view of the approaching train was partially obscured by a rake of trucks alongside the crossing. . Mrs Preddy lived for some years at Greymouth, where her husband was on the staff of the Union Bank of Australia. Lieutenant preddy was recently in New Zealand on furlough and has returned to the Pacific area. An inquest into the death of the two women was opened at Ashburton before Mr E. C. Bathurst (Coroner) yesterday, when evidence of identification was given by. Walter Herbert Ingram.