Two die in car fire at Arrowtown

Press, 11 April 1977, Page 1

Two die in car fire at Arrowtown

PA Wellington

I no young persons who died in a blazing car al Arrowtown late on Saturday evening were among the eight road fatalities reported so far this Easter.

Bystanders succeeded in pulling the driver. Richard lan Burton, aged 21. of 15 Tirangi Street. Christchurch, from the car before it exploded in flames.

He suffered head injuries, but is now reported in a fair condition in Frankton Hospital, near Queenstown,

The two killed were Russell James Carson, aged 24. ol Dunedin; and Sally Elizabeth Rainsford, aged 17. of Mosgiel. They died when the cat burst into flames after going over a bank at 11.20 p.m.

The accident happened when the car, a 1972 Mini, failed to take a bend in the centre of Arrowtown, and crashed down into a gully.

An Arrowtown woman saw the accident and contacted a police constable who was on patrol nearby. The policeman. Constable Graeme Hill, who was stationed at Arrowtown for the Easter break, said two men were already at the scene when he got there.

The men, both from Ohai, were getting into their car at a local hotel when they saw the crash. By the time the policeman arrived, the car was already burning at the front, but the men managed to break a front window and drag out the driver.

When they attempted to save the other two, fierce flames enveloped the

whole vehicle and made rescue impossible A young man was killed on State Highway 6. between Blenheim and Nelson. when the car he was driving was involved tn a collision with a Newman's bus yesterday afternoon He was

Murray James Bishop aged 21. of Battys Road Blenheim.

The bus left the road in the crash, which happened nt ram about 2km south ol Okaramio, 26km Iron. Blenheim Three bus passenger were taken by ambulance to Wairau Hospital, Bleu heim, where two were treated for minor injurie and discharged. The third passenger. Mi R. O. Cormack, of 40 Ris< law Street, Christchurch was admitted with back in juries. Her condition la-i evening was given as satis factory. The bus. going towards Blenheim, was driven by Mr M. W. Cain, of Stoke In the North Island, a woman was killed when a car in which she was a passenger plunged down a 20m bank, about 32km south of Wairoa. at 3.30 a.m. yesterday. She was Genaven L Merewhatu Tai. aged 33, of Raupunga The driver of the car Mr S. Tuhi, of Mohaka suffered minor injuries.

A girl was killed and another seriously injured in a head-on collision near the Taranaki township of Opunake at 6.30 p.m on

Saturday The girl killed was Vhienne Marie (amphell, aged 16. of Oaonui The driver of the <m. Linette Mumby of Inglewood. ts in the intensive care unit of Taranaki Base Hospital A man was killed m K.uangaroa on Saturday night when a vehicle ran into the back of his car while he was standing in rent of it. Details of the accident <re not yet available In Gisborne, two pedes nans were killed tn sepa ate accidents. A man was killed at A r.m. on Saturday when he was hit by a car while rossing an intersection in 'he city He was Nigel John I amdale, aged 26. of Gisborne A south was killed at mother intersection at 3.45 a in. on Sunday. He David John Walker, aged 16. of Whatatutu The conditions of two Te Goha women and a man involved in a collision last Thursday between a school bus and a car remain unchanged. Mrs Elna Keating and Mrs Lorraine Williams are still seriously ill in Middle ■nore Hospital. Mrs Williams’ husband, lames Bailey Williams, is -eported to be in a satisfactory condition.

At the corresponding time last year the national road toll was six; in 1975 it was ten.