CAR’S CRASH INTO OROUA RIVER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 153, 25 March 1937, Page 12

CAR’S CRASH INTO OROUA RIVER

Himatangi Farmer Killed

BODY IMPRISONED UNDER WATER FOR SIX HOURS

Dominion Special Service.

Palmerston North, .March 24

In a sensational crush in the early hours of this morning in which his car hurtled fully 70 feet into space., Arthur Ernest Sexton, aged 57. married, was killed. He had been managing a farm •it Koputara Road. Himatangi. owned by Messrs. R. A. Wilson and Dalrymple., Bulls, for many years. He resided there with his adult family. Mr. Sexton’s body was six hours in the c.at. which was submerged in eight to ten feet of water, before it was possible to extricate the vehicle and with, it the body. The car failed to negotiate Hie benil on the Palmerston North side of the Rangiotu bridge, and finished up in the Orona River. Indications were that it travelled at a high speed. When it: left the road it went down a grassy slope, carrying with it a. protecting post and rail nnd practically flattened out a heavy railway iron used to support. Hie fence. It appeared to have run along the railway bridge a car’s length, indicating an attempt to keep it on that course, and then left the bridge and continued on through space for a distance of 30 yards. Then it landed upside down in. the river, facing the opposite direction to that in which it had been going. The ear was submerged but for one rear wheel and part of Hie running-board. The distance from where it left Hie road to where it was found was CO yards. There were no marks on Hie high <r rass near the roadside, indicating that Hie car must have completely cleared the tops of this. Senior-Sergeant J. Mclntyre and Constable Chapman left Palmerston North for the scene at 12.45 a.m. today, following Constable T. Paget, who went a short period before. It was impossible to do anything then, though Mr. Webby, a member of the hospital ambulance crew, stripped and entered Hie stream to make as good an examination as was then possible., Metintime the dashboard light of the ear was burning below the water and continued to do so until the vehicle was dragged out. It was impossible to start operations to get the ear out before daylight, when a winch, operated from the bank 40 feet up by Mr. Frank Senter, assisted by the police party, made a quick job of it. Mr. Sexton’s body was found in the rear of the car with the head downward on the floor and the feet up against the roof. There were no external signs of injury beyond bleeding at the nose. One floor of the car was completely wrenched off and the headlamps and radiator smashed, but Hie structure of the car stood up well to the terrific crash.

Tn Hie car were found some groceries while a bag of potatoes had been catapulted by the force of the crash from Hip car up on to the edge of the bank 25ft. away. A single potato from the bag was found half a chain distant as well as some tools.

Ah inquest was opened (his afternoon. when Lancelot. Arthur Sexton, farmer, Oroun Downs, a son of deceased, gave evidence of identification. Mr. A. ,1. Graham, coroner, adjourned the inquiry and ordered a post-mortem to determine Hie cause of death.

Twelve years ago Mr. C. Withers, then living at Palmerston North, and his wife and two children were driving in the opposite direction to that in which .Mr. .Sexton was proceeding when their car left the road on the opposite side of the bridge to where disaster overtook Mr. Sexton, and plunged into tlie flooded Orona River between the rail and traffic bridges. Mrs. Withers and tlie children wore drowned, but Mr. Withers managed to escape. Since then a heavy white-painted fence has been erected on that side, but the Palmerston North side, whore Mr. Sexton left the road, has no such protection.