Three Escape From Car In River

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 16

Three Escape From Car In River

Three young persons escaped injury last evening when their car ran off the road and sank in deep water in the Avon River.

Kevin Ross Vincent, of 24 Medway Street, was the driver of the car in which John David Shaw and Miss Helen Shaw, his sister, both of 34 Travis Road, were passengers.

The car was being driven away from New Brighton on New Brighton Road about 10.40 p.m. and Mr Vincent had intended to turn left across the bridge near the Bower Hotel to Wainoni Road. He missed the turn and the bridge abutment on the western side and the car ploughed

down the bank and into the river. The car came to rest with its windows closed about a third of the way across the 90ft wide river. Mr Shaw, who was on the left of the front seat with his sister between him and Mr Vincent, said that the car was completely under water which rushed in when he wound down bis window. Each clambered through the window and they swam

together to the northern bank. Messrs Vincent and Shaw said they were badly shaken by the experience. Traffic officers took the three home and the car, which appeared only slightly damaged, was recovered from the river later.