WRECKED TRUCK

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30310, 10 December 1963, Page 16

WRECKED TRUCK

Owner In Australia Mr Clive lan Harris, the owner of the truck which was found wrecked on the rocks at - the bottom of the 100-foot cliff in the Devil's Punchbowl, eight miles south of Kaikoura, on Monday last week, is believed to be in j Australia. I The Christchurch C. 1.8 has (knowledge ot a letter written • by Mr Harris from Australia *to a person in New Zealand. 'The letter was written a few | days ago. i Mr Harris, a principal of {Metal Traders, Ltd., Christchurch. was last seen at 1 p.m. in Christchurch on Sunday, the day before the wrecked truck was found. He said then that he intended to drive his truck to Nelson. The truck was found late on the Monday afternoon by a Ministry of Works employee working on the Main North road. Kaikoura constables went down the cliff to the truck on several occasions before it ■was winched up by a break- | down truck and taken to the Kaikoura Police Station. A search by skin-divers, by Kaikoura fishermen. and daily patrols of the coastline at low tide failed to reveal any sign of the driver of the truck. The Christchurch police, acting on the theory that Mr Harris may not have been in the truck when it went over the cliff, last week issued a photograph of him and his description to the newspapers, and circulated his description to all New Zealand police stations. The Christchurch C.I B is investigating the possibility that the truck was deliberately put over the cliff. “The question of applying for the extradition of Mr Harris from Australia could come under consideration.” a C. 1.8. spokesman said yesterday. "We have no reason to doubt that he is in Australia.”

Oven Fire.—An oven fire at 5.17 p in. yesterday in a house occupied by Miss A. Richardson at 5 Church lane caused no damage. One engine from the Headquarters Fire Station answered the alarm call.