KILLED OUTRIGHT

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 160, 2 April 1931, Page 11

KILLED OUTRIGHT

Struck by Limited YOUNG GIRL’S DEATH Jumped the Wrong Way Dominion Special Service. Auckland, April 1. Miss J. Southby, aged about 20 years, was killed outright by the engine of the Limited express in the vicinity of Otahuhu station this morning. Miss Southby, accompanied by her mother, was walking between the up and down double track towards the Otahuhu platform. Approaching the Otahuhu station the engine-driver of the express, Mr. R. Koefoed, was slowing down according to the regulations. He blew his whistle when he observed two people between the two sets of rails. He stated that the mother and daughter did not look round, but continued to walk on towards the station. At that time they were ■well clear of the up-track on which the express was running. A moment later he thought that the girl was rather close to the rails, and he gave a short blast of the whistle to warn lire. Apparently the second whistle startled her, and she jumped to the left, right in front of the on-coming express. The driver jammed the brakes on harder, but the engine struck the girl and hurled her for some distance, and she was picked up dead. Miss Southby lived in a railway cottage with her parents at the south end of the station yard. Her father is a surfaceman employed In the railway yards at Auckland.