CARS COLLIDE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26728, 12 May 1952, Page 6

CARS COLLIDE

MAN KILLED;’ FOUR INJURED ONE VEHICLE CAPSIZES AND BURNS (Niw Zealand Pr«»« Astaetation) AUCKLAND, May 11. The day after he bad become engaged, a man was fatally injured in a collision between his car and another containing five persons on the Wai-toa-Matamata main highway, about two miles from the Waitoa junction, early on Saturday evening. He was Robert Oliver Wheeler, aged 28, a sharemilker, of Hpngahunga, Te Aroha. Those injured in the collision are: Bernard Macdonnell, aged 53, a carpenter, of Waharoa; fractured leg and burns to leg. Mrs Amy MacdonneP, aged 44; concussion and abrasions. Clifford Reevey, aged 38, a carpenter, of Waharoa; fractured leg and burns to arms and legs. Mrs Joyce Tuxford, aged 31; concussion and cuts jo the scalp. These four persons were admitted to the Waikato Hospital. Mrs Tuxford’s husband, who was also in the car, escaped serious injury. Mr Wheeler was on his way tp see his fiancee, and was followed by his sister, Mrs P. Maxted, of Gordonton, who was some distance behind when the collision took place. The other car, driven by Mr Macdonnell, overturned and burst into flames. Mrs Maxted was the first to arrive on the scene, and immediately afterwards two farmers, Messrs T- Tatterson and E. Whitehead, ran up. Mrs Maxted and Mr Tatterpon extricated Mr Wheeler from his car, but he died almost at once. Then, while Mr Whitehead ripped off the roof of the other car, and got Mr Macdonnell and Mr Reevey out. Mrs Maxted and Mr Tatterson dragged one woman from underneath the vehicle. Mr Tiixford, who had already escaped, pulled the other woman through the rear window. The car burned for two hours. During this time, the police diverted traffic across a paddock.