MOTORING MISHAPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 July 1930, Page 2

MOTORING MISHAPS

PINNED BY THE NECK.

SEVEN HOURS’ ORDEAL.

[PER press association.]

BLENHEIM, July 23.

Pinned by the neck for over seven hours beneath an upturned motor truck, Mervyn F. Jeffries, of Grassmere, a farmer, had the amazing good fortune of emerging .unscathed from an experience which he will, nevertheless, remember for the rest ot his life.

At one o’clock on a recent morning, Mr Jeffries was driving from Blenheim to his home at Grassmere in a motor truck of the light delivery type., and when proceeding down the southern side of the Lion’s Back, the vehicle, for some unaccountable reason, suddenly left the road. From the road the hill slopes away steeply, and 'as the accident happened well up the incline, there was a considerable distance down to the floor of the valley. Fortunately, however, after the truck had rolled over once, it came up against a fence, which proved strong enough to hold it. Jeffries was tossed from his seat, and found himself pinned by the'neck, and so held by the weight of. the machine. He found that, struggle as he would,,he could not free himself. Providentially, -the side of the truck was resting upon a boulder, which was just high enough to keep the weight of the vehicle off his neck..

From one o’clock in the morning, Jeffries had remained in this trying predicament until eight o’clock, when some Awatere County workmen happened to espy him, and effected a welcome rescue. Jeffries did not even suffer any serious ill effects from his lengthy period of exposure, and he is now none the worse for his experience. The truck was not seriously damaged, the hood and windscreen suffering most of all.

A FATAL CAPSIZE.

WANGANUI,’ July 23

A fatality occurred on the Auck-land-Wellington highway, thirteen miles on the Hawera side of Wanganui, this afternoon, when a fiveseater Nash tourer car left the road, and overturned. The car was travelling towards Wanganui, and was being driven by Reuben Allan Benbrook, who was employed by McGruer’s Ltd., of Hawera, and whose parents reside at Wanganui. Mr Benbrook was thrown beneath the vehicle as it turned, receiving the full weight of it about the head and shoulders. He was dead be.fore he could be extricated. A young lady, whose name is not known, was a passenger, and also a man, who is believed to be named Nelson.

A strand’ of fencing wire held the cai’ off the lady, and probably saved her‘life. She escaped with severe injuries to her legs, but she was able to travel by a passing service car to Hawera. The other passenger, it is understood, was not hurt. Medical aid and an ambulance were summoned from Wanganui, but on arrival, the passengers had left the scene of the accident on the journey north.

The deceased was a. single man, 21 years of age, and his body was brought to Wanganui.

CAR INJURES CYCLIST.

MASTERTON, July 23

A woman cyclist, named Miss Diamond, was knocked down by a. car in Queen Street, about 5.15 p.m. today, and was admitted to the Masterton Hospital, suffering from abrasions and shock. The car’ was driven by William Charles Evans, of Eketahuna.