Five Boys Killed In Crossing Smash

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30629, 21 December 1964, Page 1

Five Boys Killed In Crossing Smash

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, December 20.

All five teen-age boys in a car were killed when the vehicle was struck by the north-bound express on the Thousand Acre road level crossing just south of Oamaru, about 2.45 p.m. on Saturday.

The victims were North Otago residents, aged between 14 and 17. Two were brothers.

They were:—

Trevor John Coffey (aged 15), son of Sir and Mrs B. J. Coffey, of 107 a Eden street, Oamaru.

Ronald Stanley Knight (aged 14), son of Mr and Mrs S. R. Knight, Weston, near Oamaru.

Bruce James Richards (aged 14), son of Mr and Mrs S. W. Richards, 42 Stuart street, Oamaru.

Robert John Stanger (aged 14) and

Peter Andrew Stanger (aged 17), sons of Mr and Mrs J. G. Stanger, Weston.

Three of the youths were killed instantly, and the other two were rushed to the Oamaru Hospital by ambulance, but were dead on arrival.

Apparently, their car had been traveling ahead of the express towards Oamaru on a gravel road running beside the railway line. The accident occurred when the car made a righthand turn in front of the train.

The car was dragged 325 yards down the line, and was wrecked.

The youths were reported to have been returning from a market garden in the area, where they had been working.

Due in Oamaru at 2.49 p.m., the express did not arrive till 3.38 p.m.

Four of the youths were the eldest sons of their families. The funerals will be held in Oamaru on Tuesday. Four youths will be interred in the one service. Police believe Peter Stanger was driving the car, a 1960 Zephyr Zodiac, when it left the farm. The car belonged to the farmer for whom the boys had been working.

The engine-driver was Alexander Colin McAuley, of 34 Leith street, Oamaru. Coffey was a pupil of St. Kevin’s College and the others were pupils of Waitaki Boys’ High School. Peter Stanger was to have taken up employment in Oamaru soon.

The three Weston boys were scouts and Bible class members. Richards’ main interest was horse riding, and Coffey was a keen student.

Woman Killed i A woman was killed on the ; Matamata-Cambridge highway I on Sunday afternoon. She was I Mrs Jennifer Wendy Rowse, of Turner’s road, Matamata.

Mrs Rowse was travelling in a light car driven by her husband, Mr T. Rowse, Matamata.

Approaching the Taotaoroa crossroads the car overturned and Mrs Rowse was thrown on to the road and killed instantly.

Her husband and two infant children escaped serious injury.

Two More Dead

Two young people were killed and another is critically ill in hospital after a car ran into the rear of a moving truck in Manurewa at 1.34 a.m. on Sunday, according to an Auckland message. Those killed were:— Lindsay Gilbert Hodges, aged 23, a butcher, single, of 15 Grahams road, Takanini, who was driving.

Miss Kaye Jean Megson, aged 18, a factory hand, of 3A Beatty street, Manurewa.

Kenneth Thurlow, aged about 22, of 78 Gloucester road, Manurewa, suffered critical injuries and is seriously ill in Middlemore Hospital. Another passenger, Miss Louise Cummings, aged 18, of 119 Gloucester road, Manurewa, was treated at Middlemore Hospital for shock and minor abrasions. Pillion Passenger The pillion passenger was killed almost instantly when a motor-cycle fell 15 feet over a bank on the Motunau Beach road, about six miles from the Main North road, about 8.10 p.m. yesterday. He was:

John Charles Hopkins, aged 22, of Motunau, a rabbit board employee, married with one child.

The rider of the motorcycle, Richard Schluter, of West belt, Rangiora, suffered head, arm, and leg injuries, lacerations and shock. He was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital. He was attended by Dr. B. F. Heyward, of Cheviot, before being taken to hospital by the Cheviot St. John ambulance.