TRAMS COLLIDE

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 13

TRAMS COLLIDE

MISHAP ON POINTS THREE PERSONS INJURED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, July 21. Three people were injured when two trams travelling in opposite directions across the junction of Stout street and Lambton Quay collided at the height of the rush traffic shortly after 5 o’clock to-night. The injured were all taken to hospital, and their condition to-night was not serious. The front compartments of both trams were wrecked. The injured are;—

R. Alead, carpenter, 54 Wellington road, severe contused wound over tho right eye and injury to the left arm Cara Taylor, a scholar, aged 15, of Owen street, Belmont, Lower Hutt concussion.

Charles Dowiy tram driver, 290 Queen's drive, injuries to lip and nose.

Down was taking his car to the Lambton terminus, and instead of continuing straight along Lambton Quay it turned on a set of points loading into Stout street and collided with an out-ward-bound Aliramar car driven by Anthony Robert Broadhurst, of 12 Hanson street, which was on the other set of lines in Lambton Quay. The front platform of Down’s car received the full force of the collision. Every pane of glass was shattered, the heavy steel body plating was torn clean across the bottom, and tho chassis buckled. Down was saved from serious injury by the steel band-brake standard which prevented the whole of the driver’s compartment caving in on him. Aluch of the light woodwork gave way under the strain, and the heavy direction indicator was wrenched from its fastonings. Cara Taylor was a passenger in the front compartment of this car where some of the windows were shattered by flying wood and glass. Bronclhurst’s driving compartment was less severely damaged. The panelling was twisted and bent, and the whole of the front half of the chassis twisted so that the body of the tram was put out of alignment.

Hundreds of people who were doing their shopping were attracted by the sound of the collision, and five minutes after it occurred Lambton Quay was almost impassable. Lines of trams which were serving the rush traffic both to and from the terminus were held up. and debris scattered over the whole width of the street interfered with passing motor traffic.

Both cars were run into Stout street under their own power, and the interrupted services were then continued.