LORRY WRECKED

Evening Star, Issue 21934, 22 January 1935, Page 5

LORRY WRECKED

ANOTHER GROSSING SMASH REMARKABLE ESCAPE OF OCCUPANTS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 21. Two men had a remarkable escape from death when the lorry on which they were travelling was wrecked in a spectacular collision with the New Plymouth to Wellington express this afternoon at M'Kay’s Crossing, about half a mile north of Paekakariki. The large lorry and its load of mixed'goods were completely destroyed, and the men received injuries which required their removal to hospital after the train had brought them to Wellington. J. Irving, tho driver of the lorry, who lives in Bell street, Otaki, is thought to have a fracture of the left leg and injuries to the right leg and right arm, and to-night was suffering also from shock.

His companion, A. M'Neilage, on engineer, of Abel Smith street, Wellington, has a broken right thigh, a contused left eye, and an injury to the right hand. The crossing is the first one on the main road north of Paekakariki, and was the scene of a serious accident several years ago when the occupants of a lorry which was struck by a train were killed. Alterations were then made to the surroundings of the crossing, and it is now not generally ranked a.s a dangerous spot. Ail indications are that the impact was tremendous. A passenger on the express states that tho first thing those on the train noticed was a lorry wheel careering across a paddock. The express pulled up almost within its own length, although it was a fairly long one. Apparently the vehicle had been struck at the rear when it was nearly across the rails. Its freight of fruit, fruit boxes, and other goods had been destroyed and scattered in all directions. The cab had been knocked off and the chassis completely wrecked, the debris of tho accident being strewn about 50yds along the track. A boot worn by one of the men is said to have been found 50yds down the line from the crossing, and his overcoat on the locomotive. Two nurses were on the train and they attended to the injured men until a doctor arrived from Paekakariki. The front of the locomotive was considerably damaged, but it was able to draw the express to Paekakariki, where it was changed for another.