Terror under train recalled
Memories almost forgotten were vividly recalled by a Darfield woman this week when a young Christchurch girl narrowly escaped being crushed beneath a goods train. Mrs A. E. Tossell was the same age as Carmel Anne Mills when she, too, was run over and dragged beneath a train.
Carmel, aged 10, was hit by the train at the Hornby rail crossing on Wednesday, passed under the cowcatcher, and was dragged more than 15m down the track. She escaped with only cuts, bruising, shock and a suspected broken ankle.
She was reported to be in * a quite comfortable condition in Christchurch Hospital last evening.
Mrs Tossell was not so lucky. She spent two years in bed recovering from her injuries.
Fifty-nine years ago, as a London schoolgirl, she was boarding an elec? trie train at West Hampstead station when the porter blew his whistle. The train moved off quickly, dragging her until she fell between the two carriages on to the middle of the line.
The train stopped and a young man crawled beneath the wheels to pull her out. However, another passenger told the driver there was only a dog beneath the carriage and he started the train again.
Mrs Tossell still recalls the feeling of terror as the train began to move again with herself and the young man still trapped underneath.
The young man’s new wife — he was on his honeymoon — ran screaming along the platform and managed to attract the driver’s attention. Mrs Tossell suffered spinal injuries and broken limbs.
“I still have nightmares sometimes,” she said. Although she still gets “a bit nervous” about coming to Christchurch on the West Coast railcar, she will make the trip to visit Carmel Mills in hospital.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19780819.2.11
Bibliographic details
Press, 19 August 1978, Page 1
Word Count
291Terror under train recalled Press, 19 August 1978, Page 1
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.