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Press, 20 April 1981, Page 2

A man and a woman are seriously ill in the intensive care unit at Christchurch Hospital after their car struck a barrier and rolled down an embankment off the Tunnel Road just before 8 p.m. on Saturday. The car’s engine was torn out as .it roiled for. more than 50 metres, before coming to rest upside-down in Port Hills Road. One witness described the scene as “like a battlefield,” with firemen, policemen, and traffic officers on hand, and St John ambulancemen taking away the five injured occupants in four ambulances. Those in the intensive care unit are Mary O’Rourke, aged 28, of 9 Chelsea Street, Linwood, and Anthony Stowers, aged 20, of 21 Esk Place, Aranui. Both suffered severe head and chest injuries. William Fidow, aged 23, of Chelsea Street, was in a serious condition in Princess Margaret Hospital last evening with head and abdominal injuries.

Maurice Stowers, of 21 Esk Place, was also in a serious, condition with head injuries. Lisa Stowers, aged 21, of the same address, was reported to be in a fairly comfortable condition with head injuries. The Nelson woman who was badly injured ip an accident on the Main North Road near Waikuku on Thursday is improving in Christchurch Hospital. Beverley Bishop, aged 39, of 18 Abraham Heights, suffered severe chest injuries when two cars collided just north of the Ashley River bridge about 8.15 p.m. She has been transferred from the intensive dare unit to a ward, but was still on the seriously ill list last evening. A Christchurch : youth who was -injured when a car struck a pole in River Road, Tai Tapu, on Saturday night was discharged from Burwood Hospital yesterday. He is Craig Watkins, aged 16, of 86 Edward Avenue, St Albans.