PLUCKY BOY & BOLTING MOTOR.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 52, 11 February 1913, Page 2

PLUCKY BOY & BOLTING MOTOR.

A motor-car accident was averted by the presence of mind of a 12-year-old lad (writes the Broken Hill correspondent of tihe 'Sydney Daily Telegraph'). It appears that the manager of Woodman's, Ltd., Nell, together with Miss Wyer, a visitor from Ceylon, his two sons, aged five and 12 years, and Miss Lilly Midwinter, were returning home in a car, when' in Oxide street Mr Nell stopped the car to procure refreshments for the children, and left the engine running. He had but entered the shoo when his son Nobel must have accidentally placed his foot on the clutch lever, which threw the engine into gear, and the car immediately moved off up Oxide-street. Miss Wyer became startled, and called for help, andl Mr Nell hurried out of the shop only to See the car running a zigzag course up the street. Making a sharp turn, it ran towards "the Imperial Hotel, and, then, suddenly straightening its course, raced' along towards a bridged gutter in Cobalt street, opposite the Imperial Hotel. Here young Monte Nell* clambering from the back seat, sei/.ed the steering wheel, and turned the car into Cobalt street, just as it seemed 011 the point of colliding with the bridge. Evidently in the hurriedness of his movements he placed his hand 011 another lever, which had the effect of greatly accelerating the speed of the engines. The ear literally jumped forward, and was soon racing at a speed estimated at 20 miles an hour. The lad stuck pluckily to his post. Meanwhile, after travelling a short distance down Cobalt street in the direction of the Proprietary dam, the car ran into a big patch of loose sand, and here, owing to young Nell temporarily losing control of the wheel, it circled completely around, and then overturned. The occupants were thrown heavily to the roadway, underneath the car. the hood of which fortunately saved them from being crushed beneath the weight. Miss Wyer sustained severe cuts on her left knee and. abrasions near the ankle, besides which there were also abrasions on her face. The boys, Monte andi Noel, also sustained abrasions about the face, but were otherwise uninjured.