HEAD-ON COLLISION

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 11

HEAD-ON COLLISION

MOTOR-CYCLE OUT OF CONTROL

MAN KILLED ; ANOTHER INJURED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day. One. man, was killed and another rescued fro.m the debris of a blazing motor-cycle and side-car at about 7.30 a.m. today after the vehicle had col,lided head on with »»heavy milk lorry on the Great South Road at Otahuhu. R.onald Edmund Smith, aged 26, a .fitter,'of Papatoetoe, was killed, and Terrance McSweeney, 22, a labourer, :of Papatoetoe, suffered . concussion and1 a fractured leg. He underwent on Operation later aod his condition is 'fairly ■ serious.: .: , . ■ .

Smith was the driyer of the cycle. At -a curve, on the: road the- motorcycle combination, wobbled and then Iswerved-.across. :the road and. crashed into the lorry. Instantly it burst into •flames; Smith' was crushed between /the'cycle and radiator, of the ' lorry, and, was killed instantly. McSweeney Was-knocked, unconscious by the im■pact and collapsed into the. burning xuins of.the cycle.

: The lorry driver, R. B. Billings, had realised that the cycle was out of control, and had slowed down practically to a stop; He jumped from the driver's seat and dragged Smith out, but it was-apparent, that he was dead and his clothes were burning. Billings then dashed into the flames again and rescued McSweeney, who slowly recovered consciousness. Bfilings said that it appeared to him that the driver of the cycle could not keep the sidecar on the road and in an effort to recover control got'- into a. bad wobble. The machine swerved to. its own side of the road and then- shot across at an angle and hit the lorry with great force.~::'■- - ;

Smith was married only a week ;ago,. .. , .-- ; ,■■■-.■ ■■.-. .-■■■.