TWO DIE ON ROADS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31030, 9 April 1966, Page 1

TWO DIE ON ROADS

Two fatal road accidents during the Easter holiday period had been reported to the Transport Department last evening. Easter traffic was said to be particularly heavy.

A man was fatally'injured when two cars collided at the Charing Cross intersection near Burnham at 7.45 p.m. on Thursday. He was

James Clifford Draper, aged 46, of Hororata Homestead, Hcrorata.

He suffered serious' head injuries and was taken by St. John ambulance to Christchurch Hospital, where he died yesterday morning. ' His wife, Nora Elizabeth Draper, aged 47, was admitted to hospital with moderately serious neck injuries. Her condition yesterday was said to be satisfactory. Their son, Patrick James Draper, aged 13, was treated for minor injuries and discharged, and their daughter, Michaela Mary Draper, aged 16, was not injured. Pauline Eileen Kavanagh, aged 17, of 412 Ham road, was treated for leg- injuries and discharged. The driver of the other car, John Thomas Curtis Swale, aged 55, of Greymouth, suffered minor injuries. Janet Ferguson Swale, aged 56, also had minor injuries, and Garth Dale Curtis Swale, aged 13, was not hurt. Killed Instantly A 16-y ear-old boy was killed instantly when the motor scooter he was riding and a car collided at Te Tua

at 3.45 p.m. yesterday. He was Murray Ernest Peek, of Te Tua. The driver of the car, Leslie John Catto, of Gore, was not injured. Body In Bush The body of a Christchurch man, who had been missing in the bush about three miles south of Bruce Bay, South Westland, since early on Wednesday, was found by searchers on Thursday morning. He was Francis Arthur Elwood Rooney, aged 60, of 261 Condell avenue, Christchurch. Hokitika police said Mr Rooney was on a hunting trip with a friend, Mr J. Lawson, also of Christchurch, the Press Association reported. About' 6.30 a.m. on Wednesday the two men heard a stag roar in the bush. They separated on the roadside and agreed to meet at their car. When Mr Rooney had not returned by 11 a.m., a search was made Without success. On Thursday morning a search party, under Constable S. R. Harris, of Whataroa, set out. Mr Rooney’s body was found about 9 a.m. by Ministry of Works employees. Mr Rooney is believed to have had a heart attack.

Body Found Floating A dead man was found floating near the launch on which he lived in Onahau Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, on Wednesday. He was William Herbert Preston, aged 85. Picton police were notified by Mrs I. M. Hebberd, of Onahau, whose daughter discovered the body. They believe Mr Preston suffered a heart seizure while standing at the side of his boat and fell overboard. Tractor Fatality A man died in a tractor accident shortly before 4 p.m. on Thursday. He was Mervyn Allan Loveday, a farm worker, aged 37, married with three children, employed by Mr J. C. Talbot, of Hadlow.

Mr Loveday was ploughing a steep incline when the tractor slid, overturned and pinned him underneath. “It appeared that death was instantaneous,” said Sergeant G. C. Hill, of Timaru, yesterday. An inquest was opened before the Timaru Coroner (Mr E. G. Bradley) yesterday and adjourned sine die after evidence of identification.

Fatally Hurt A 13-year-old Maori boy was fatally injured in a rifle accident at Okere, 13 miles from Rotorua, yesterday. He was Milton Brown, son of Mr and Mrs R. Brown, of Okere. Rotorua police said a .303 rifle was accidentally discharged, shooting the boy in the stomach, while he and his cousin were playing at 1 p.m. The boy died at 2 p.m., half an hour after being admitted to Rotorua Hospital. Linesman Hurt A New Plymouth City Council electricity department trainee linesman, Mr Warwick Welch, aged 19, of Wrantage street, New Plymouth, was seriously injured when a power pole to which he was strapped snapped and crashed at New Plymouth about 9 a.m. on Thursday. Mr Welch was renewing lines when the accident occurred. He suffered a broken pelvis, several broken ribs, a crushed bone in his back, and internal injuries. He was admitted to New Plymouth Hospital, where his condition last evening was reported as “fairly satisfactory.”