LORRY’S WILD DASH

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 51, 24 November 1930, Page 12

LORRY’S WILD DASH

Fatal Jump by Passenger PAEKAKARIKI HILL Truck Rolls Three Times A man, a passenger in a cab of a motor lorry, was killed when, heavily laden with drums of petrol, it got out of control on the way down the Paekakariki Hill on Saturday, and, after careering wildly down hill at high speed for about 200 yards, left the road and somersaulted '' three times, being prevented from rolling COO feet to the bottom of the hill only by striking a telegraph pole. The man was killed instantly when he jumped from the runaway vehicle, while the driver, who remained at the wheel until the lorry went over the bank, miraculously escaped with a broken leg, injuries to his back, and shock. They were the only occupants of the vehicle. Killed. FREDERICK CHARLES ASTRIDGE, aged 34, married, father ' of one child, of 6 Taupo Quay, Wanganui. Injured. ' v GEORGE GAY, single, of Koputaroa, Levin, broken leg, back injured, shock. Impossible to Stop. The lorry, which belongs to the llawera Transport Company, of which the late Mr. Astridge was the manager in Wanganui, was proceeding from Wellington with a load of approximately four tons. At about a mile from the summit of the hill the driver found that he had lost control of his vehicle, and that both his brakes when applied would not check its speed. His companion decided to make a jump for safety, but the driver remained at the wheel until thrown out after the lorry had somersaulted three times. Parts Scattered Down Hill. The lorry presented a sorry sight after the accident. At the spot where it left the road were a few damaged drums leaking badly; a few yards below where the fen,ce had been was - the cardan shaft, which had been wrench, d from the gearbox and the differential; another 20 yards below again was the bent and twisted and buckled chassis piled up against a telegraph pole; a little further downhill was the wooden body badly splintered; while finally at the bottom of the hill were drums of oil strewn on each side of the railway line. The vehicle was damaged beyond any possible hope of repair, and it is doubtful whether it is of any use bringing the chassis back to the road. Lorry as Ambulance. The district nurse nt Paekakariki was on the scene of the accident, which occurred about midday, in good time, and was able to render iirst-aid to Mr. Gay. He was placed in rugs on a passing lorry. It was the wish of Mr. Gay that he be taken to Palmerston North, so as to be nearer to his home. Shortly afterward Mr. Gay was taken to the Paekakariki Hotel, pending the arrival of the Wellington-Auck-land'express at 3 p.m.. arrangements were made whereby the train was stopped just opposite the hotel so that the injured man could be removed with the minimum of discomfort. ( Gearbox Apparently Broke. “I have not had a great deal of driving on this section of the road,” said Mr. Gay, relating his experience, “as I generally drive between Wanganui and Hawera. On reaching the top of the hill I immediately put the engine into low gear, as it would be quite useless to attempt to negotiate the hill in any other way. All went well until we had gone about a mile down the hill, a little way above the well-known hair-pin bend. Something had evidently gone in the gearbox on account of the tremendous strain, and I found that the application of both the foot and hand brakes could do little to check the lorry’s ever increasing speed. In Rolling Lorry. "I said to my mate, who is also an experienced driver,” he continued, “ ‘I think you had better jump, Fred,’ which he did. I stuck to the wheel, and remember little else. I do remember, however, that after the lorry left the road it turned over three times while I was in the cab, and I was thrown out before it struck the post. It was certainly a miraculous escape from death.” Splendid- work was done by the district nurse at Paekakariki. The road has been the scene of many serious accidents, mostly before it was improved. Mr. Astridge was the only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. Astridge, of Levin. His brother was killed at the war, and he himself served four years.