WOMAN & DAUGHTER KILLED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 8

WOMAN & DAUGHTER KILLED

Car Wrecked By Train LEVEL-CROSSING SMASH NEAR MORRINSVILLE By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, January 3. Two women, mother and daughter, wore killed tonight, when a motor-car. of which they were the only occupants, was struck by the. Rotorua-Auckland passenger train at Motumaoho level crossing, aliout two miles from Morrinsville. The victims were: Mrs. Laura Smith, aged 64, wife ot Mr. Maurice Smith. Puriri. near Thames. Miss Agues Constance Walton Smith, aged 21, of Puriri. Miss Smith was driving the car in the direction of Puriri. The car was completely wrecked and Hie occupants were killed immediately, both receiving terrible head and internal injuries. Mi*» -Smith was thrown on a bank beside the crossing and iter mother was carried into an old sandpit 12 yards away from Hie road. So great was the impact, that the body of the car was toru completely from the chassis and hurled a ehtriu away. Mr. Smith and his family worked a small farm near Thames..

Tiie police and a doctor were quickl,’ on tiie scene and the victims were taken to Morrinsville. Tiie train was uot damaged.

About two years ago the Public Works Department contemplated erecting an overbridge to eliminate this level crossing. However, after several reinforced concrete piles had been constructed the work was abandoned. The concrete piles remain in a paddoek alongside the scene of tonight's double fatality.

Tltis is the second fatal accident to occur at a level crossing near Morrinsville within six weeks. The other was when a motor-lorry driver was killed at Piako crossing, on the east side of the town.