DOGGED BY FATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 September 1927, Page 12

DOGGED BY FATE

CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. LONDON, August 28. A long chapter of accidents, ending in the death of one person and injuries to eleven others, attended an excursion party’s attempt to reach Margate from. London by motor coach. The last and fatal accident was caused by a rabbit running across the road. The party started from Luna Park in a motor coach at 9.45 a.m. yesterday, and reached Kingsdown, 22 miles away, where the connecting-rod fell through the crank-case, entailing a three hours’ delay. Transferring to a fresh coach they arrived at 6.30 p.m. at Canterbury, where a breakdown delayed them an hour. They transferred to a third coach, determined to return to London. They had travelled 30 miles when they broke down again. A member of the party telephoned to London and secured a fourth motor coach, to which they transferred Italian hour after midnight. They travelled a quarter of an hour in the darkness to Highcroft Hill, where two motor cyclists, endeavouring to avoid a rabbit, swerved in front of the coach. One was thrown off, and the coach driver, swerving to avoid him, lost control of the coach, which overturned, pinning the occupants beneath the vehicle. One was killed and eleven were injured. Among the wreckage on the roadside was a picture postcard marked, “Goodluck from Margate.”