AUCKLAND TRAMS IN ACCIDENT

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24749, 14 December 1945, Page 6

AUCKLAND TRAMS IN ACCIDENT

ONE RUNS AWAY down Rill VIOLENT IMPACT (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 13. A woman tram conductor suffered’ very serious injuries when awfully laden tram ran backward down Col-. , lege Hill- this evening and violently struck another tram about 60 yards behind'it. The second car was station-. ary, and passengers standing on its front platform jumped and scrambled - to safety when they saw the other , ; tram bearing down on them. Several ■ persons were examined on the spot ", by a doctor, but only two were admitted to the Auckland Hospital. TOey were:— • • - Mrs Joyce Montrose, aged 34, of Onehunga. She suffered a compound fracture of both legs, and her con- ; dition to-night was critical. i Richard Wright, aged 54, majried, of j Heme*Bay. He was admitted three J hours after the accident, and is under .observation for a chest injury and possibly a fractured leg. His condition is not serious. • Both trams were bound for Heme ; Bay, The first was not far past a stop,-':; and was nearing the top of College :. Hill, when , the raotorman, Mr T. At- - kmson, found he had no power for the { tram. He applied the air brake, but i it was not effective, and the tram be-':' gan to run backward down the fairly steep slope at gathering speed. Mr Atkinson then tried to halt the car with its manual brake. He sue- : ceeded in reducing its speed consider--ably, and it is believed that it was v travelling at not much more than. 12 miles an hour when it struck the sec- : ond tram.

The motorman of this car, Mr C.; H, Taylor, had stopped it immediately he saw the other tram was out of con- • trol. He warned the passengers to leave .• the tram, and followed them to safety; ■ When the two trams met the hack f platform of the runaway' Went under ■5 frhh*- platform of the other. The whole of the first tram’s platform was. ; sliced off back to the passenger’s compartment, the cabin and controls being smashed off. It is believed Mrs Montrose was ■ standing on the platform when the Impact occurred.

Damage to the front platform of the standing tram was also considerable, although much less than it was to the other car. Much of the woodwork was crushed in. Both cars had to be towed away.