INFANT UNDER WATER CART

Evening Star, Issue 19126, 18 December 1925, Page 2

INFANT UNDER WATER CART

A SHOCKING ACCIDENT [Special to tue ‘Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, December 17. Attracted by a piercing scream, thfl driver of a city water cart discovered that the wheel of the heavily-loaded vehicle had crushed the leg of a tiny boy only eighteen months oid. * his distressing accident happened in Beaiey avenuo this morning, near the interseclion of Montreal street. The infant child of Mr and Mrs 1 . E. Dodge, who live at H avenue, was severely injured. The child is a baby boy of eighteen months, and ho had wandered on to the road, apparently attracted by one of the City Council water carts, which was being filled at a fire plug near the intersection of tho streets. Tho cart was driven by R. J. Middleton. He had filled it and detached the hose from the ping. Middleton saw no sign of the child while ho was engaged in filling the cart. Ho had mounted the driver's seat and started his team, when he heard a piercing scream. Stopping immediately to sco where the scream came from, he noticed a wheel of the veliide, which has a loaded weight of over four tons, on one of ihe child’s logs. Middleton hacked immediately, and the little boy tvas rushed off to the hospital by his father, who arrived on the scene" Tho water cart had not moved more than -It from where it had stood while being filled. M lien noticed tho baby was lying with its body under the cart and the log showing out under the rear offside wheel. When admitted to hospital the child’s log had been crushed and severed from the body, and tho little boy was also suffering from shock. This afternoon the hospital authorities stated that the child’s condition was serious, hut not without hope.