TWO COLLISIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 12

TWO COLLISIONS

WOMAN INJURED

Dense smoke from peat and flax fires drifting across a section of the main highway about a mile south of Paraparaumu was responsible for two acci-. dents which occurred within the space of a few minutes yesterday afternoon. Two transport trucks were involved in the first, one being completely destroyed by fire, and two private cars were involved in the second.

At about 3.30 p.m. a truck owned by Mr. E. Lay, Hastings, which was being driven south by Mr. F. Pyne, Hastings, collided with another owned by the McFarlane Transport Company, Levin, which was being driven north by Mr. C. Fenwick, Levin. It went off the road, capsized, and burst into flames. The load on the truck included several drums of tallow, which burst and burnt fiercely. The other truck was damaged, but it was able to proceed. Neither of the drivers was injured.

A few minutes later a car being driven south by Mr. B. R. Webster, 14 Hurman Street, Karori, was pulled up by one of the truck drivers, and as it was moving off it came into collision with a car being driven north by Mr. F. Clewer, Paraparaumu Beach. Mr. Clewer's car was badly damaged and Mrs. Clewer received a fractured left ankle and a lacerated wound over the right eye. After receiving medical attention she was taken to the Wellington Public Hospital by the Free Ambulance. Mr. Clewer received cuts and bruises. Mrs. Webster, who was a passenger in the other car with her husband, received slight bruises.

The smoke from the fire covered the road for a distance of about threequarters of a mile, constituting a serious menace to traffic.