SCHOOL BUS LEAVES ROAD

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 192, 11 May 1937, Page 5

SCHOOL BUS LEAVES ROAD

Driver and Three Children Seriously Injured CANTERBURY ACCIDENT By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, May 10. Three children and the driver were seriously injured to-day when the bus from the Hawarden District High School crashed down a bank six miles from Waikari while taking the children to their homes. Those seriously injured were:— Alee Millar, driver of the bus. facial and head injuries. Betty Trumpet-, aged about 13, bead injuries. Nola Lukey, aged 13, head injuries. Russell Lukey, her brother. , aged about 7, head injuries. All these were deeply unconscious when admitted to the Waikari Hospital, but the children regained consciousness later in the evening. At midnight all four were still on the seriously ill list. Four other children, Joan Booker, William Booker, Freeman Booker and Lily Watson were injured, but were able to go home after being treated at Hawarden for shock and bruises. There were only the seven children and the driver in the bus, which was nea r the end of ite run after dropping a number of other children. All , the children were from the Mason’s Flat district. The accident occurred on a slight hill leading to the bridge alongside the property of Mr. W. T. Earl, Pyramid Valley, about 4 p.m. Apparently there was no eye-witness of the mishap and it was some time before it> was discovered. Mr. F. Lukey, father of the injured children, had been waiting for the bus, and when it did not appear he went along the road with the intention of meeting it. He was apparently. first on the scene of the accident. ft has not been ascertained how the accident occurred as the driver was not able to make a statement this evening. The bus appeared to have got out of control on the hill and. after leaving tho road at the bridge, it brought up against a willow tree. The bus was badly damaged, and, after the accident, the tree was through the front of it and the engine had been f orced out of position. i