Young Fireman Stops Truck Wheel From Hitting Children

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28784, 3 January 1959, Page 14

Young Fireman Stops Truck Wheel From Hitting Children

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January 2: A young fireman from the Auckland Central Fire Station fended a runaway truck wheel away from three children in Queen street on Wednesday afternoon, saving them from possible injury. The wheel broke away from an old truck, bounced on to the pavement and smashed through the plate glass window of a chinaware shop. Some expensive china was broken. The fireman, Mr L. Webb, aged 23, saw the truck going down Queen street. “The offside front wheel suddenly folded underneath, came off, and shot towards the tootoath,” he said.

“It hit the kerb and bounced about four feet into the air. I saw it was headed towards the three small kiddies, so I pushed at it with both hands and it went into the window. “Had I not pushed the wheel it would have struck other people further down the road,” said Mr Webb. “It is a pity about the shop, but I was thinking of the children’s safety first.” Onlookers expressed admiration of Mr Webb’s handling of the situation. "Those children would have received nasty injuries if the wheel had hit them,” one said. Mr W.ebb suffered slight burns on his hands from the fast-spin-ning wheel.