Five Road Deaths For Christmas Period

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30943, 27 December 1965, Page 1

Five Road Deaths For Christmas Period

CVew Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, December 26. Five people have died on New Zealand roads this Christmas.

The Transport Department said that up to 11 p.m. today 34 people had been killed this month, compared with 43 last December.

The total for the year to date is 549, compared with 423 for the same period last year.

The Transport Department says that the next six days are the crucial period.

The worst hazards nn the road today, the department says, are: Too much speed in huilt-up areas, and Travelling too close behind the vehicle in front.

The Christmas accidents occurred at:—

Auckland, where a youth died in Auckland Hospital after a car and a bus collided at Takapuna on Christmas Eve. Greymouth, where a pedestrian and a driver were killed in separate accidents. The pedestrian was knocked down at the small settlement of Camerons by a car on Christmas Eve and the driver was knocked down standing by his car near the Greymouth Hospital the same night. Christchurch, where a pedestrian was struck down by a car in Riccarton road on Friday evening. Gisborne, where a 16-year-old cyclist suffered severe injuries in an accident at an intersection As well there was a fatal accident at Timaru on Thursday evening which is not in-i eluded in the Christmas figure. Two Killed

A pedestrian and a driver were killed on the West Coast within half an hour on Christmas Eve.

The pedestrian was knocked down by a car while standing on the side of the highway at the small settlement of Camerons at 9.40 p.m. He was George Sutherland, aged 84. a widower, a retired jeweller, of Livingston street, Hokitika. He died almost immediately. He had been staying with friends at Camerons.

The driver of the car was Kevin McGrath, aged 31. of Hokitika.

A man who parked his car in Paroa road near the Greymouth Hospital was talking to the occupant of another car just ahead of his own when he was struck by a car

He was: Andrew Nolan, aged 55, a contractor, of 47 Milton road, Greymouth. the father of 10 children.

Mr Nolan died almost in-

stantly of serious head and internal injuries. The driver of the passing car was Bryan Robert Urquhart. of Greymouth Pedestrian Struck A pedestrian was killed and his wife was seriously injured when they were struck by a car in Riccarton road, near Church corner, shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday. The dead man was: Alfred Robert Day, aged 69, of 9 Hillary crescent, Christchurch. Mr Day and Mrs Mavis Mercedes Day were taken to the Christchurch Hospital where Mr Day died at 8.25 p.m. Mrs Day suffered head and leg injuries, and last evening was still on the seriously ill list. The driver of the car was Glenn Thoma., Davies, of 111 D Riccarton road. Cyclist Dies A 16-year-old Gisborne cyclist died tonight after injuries suffered in a collision with a car at an intersection in Te Hapara at 7 p.m. He was Nigel Nelson, of 28 Churchill crescent. The boy suffered severe bodily injuries and was dead before he reached hospital in an ambulance. Timaru Death i A motorist suffered fatal i injuries when his car left the ; road and overturned on the I Timaru side of the Rocky Gully bridge at Albury at 10.15 on Thursday night. He was David Lawrence Roycroft, aged 24, of 85 Otipua road, Timaru.

A trainee health inspector who was to be married in January, Mr Roycroft was alone in the car. Youth Killed A youth was killed and a girl is dangerously ill in the Auckland Hospital’s respiratory unit after their car and a bus collided in Wairau road near Target road. Takapuna, at 11.50 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The dead youth was Derek Christopher Druce, aged 17, an apprentice heating engineer, of 6 Athens road, Onehunga.

The injured girl is Miss Joan Lorna Robson, aged 17, a factory worker, of 2 Brenton place, Orakei, who suffered multiple injuries. She and the dead youth were passengers in a car driven by Mr D. C. Brown, of Rawhiti road, Manly, who was treated for minor injuries at North Shore Hospital and sent home. The bus driver. Mr K. F. Riddle.'of Chivalry road. Glenfield, was also treated for a minor injury. Five-Car Smash State highway No. 1. six miles north of Oamaru resembled a car graveyard about 4 p.m. on Friday when five cars were involved in a collision. No injuries "’ere reported. Dense smoke from the railway drifted acress the road reducing visibility to nil for about 100 yards. The collision occurred when drivers slowed down or stopped. Four of the six cars were towed away, three of them with radiator and rear damage. One was extensively damaged and will probably be a write-off. Badly Hurt A man was seriously injured when the car he was driving was in collision with a rail-car at Grey street crossing about 5.40 p.m. on Friday. He is David Smith, aged 34. married, who was thrown from the car. He suffered a broken arm, dislocated shoulder and severe face and head lacerations. His condition tonight was reported to be satisfactory. 'V V-