Riderless motor-cycle injures 8 children

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33706, 2 December 1974, Page 18

Riderless motor-cycle injures 8 children

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. A riderless motor-cycle careered 60 yards before ploughing into eight children during a grand prix race at Porirua today. Three of the children, including a two-year-old, were taken to Wellington Hospital with broken legs. The others were badly bruised, cut and shocked. The racing bike failed to take a turn at about 60 m.p.h., flung off its rider, and entered a mad skid. Its rider, Graham Meiklejohn, of Linden, slid across the seal on his stomach, ending up with his chest hitting the kerb. About 4000 men, women and children were watching the race round the Porirua city centre when the accident occurred soon after midday.

The race was the Wellington Motor Club’s annual Porirua grand prix. The race route was cordoned off with rope. A Wellington ambulance officer, Mr J. Hebberley, said when he arrived on the scene children’s bodies were spread out more than 30ft away from the motorcycle.

The children taken to hospital were later discharged. They are LeighAnn Murdoch, aged five, of Linden, Stephan Hall, 11, and a two-year girl taken to hospital by her parents. Her name was not available tonight. They all suffered broken legs. Mr Hebberley said he thought the crowd had pushed the rope barrier forward from its original position. “And of course the children were at the front so they could see. “Most of the children were pretty shocked. It’s quite a shock seeing a motor-cycle heading towards you at about 60 m.p.h. “St John officers were stationed round the course, so when I arrived it was simply a case of checking who was the worst and putting them into the ambulance.”

There were 15 races in the grand prix meeting, which was held throughout the day, and 127 solo riders and 21 side-cars took part. The track consisting of central city streets was roped off with “a reasonable” safety factor, he said. “We had 60 people on the course marshalling the crowd. But people being human, they just wanted to see more,” said a course official (Mr M. Mead). About 4000 men, women, children and babies were attracted to the races. Many were to be seen lunging under the ropes only several feet from the curb on some corners. “It is the same with any sport. People get caught up in the excitement. It is exciting because it is dif-

ferent and they want to see as much as possible,” Mr Mead said. Mr Mead said he must have travelled about 75 miles around the track warning people to keep away from the ropes and checking the course. “The police were terrific and control was very

good. But as soon as the police moved on, people returned to their places near the ropes,” he said. Mr Meiklejohn, aged 24, of Linden, was resting tonight, suffering from bruises and fractured ribs. His father, Mr D. 11. Meiklejohn, said the motorcycle’s back wheel locked “and he just came off.” “Worse accidents happen on the road. Racing always has some hazard associated with it. A racer is prepared for it with leathers and helmet, but the spectators are the innocents,” he said. “The spectators are always very hard to control. The boundary was a piece of string about three feet from the curb. It is really just a public street.”