BOY KILLED IN VAN ACCIDENT NEAR WATAROA

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 April 1950, Page 4

BOY KILLED IN VAN ACCIDENT NEAR WATAROA

A schoolboy was killed instantly when a butcher’s delivery, van,; in .-•» which he was a passenger, left the road and somersaulted, about two miles south of Wataroa early, last . night. The victim of the accident • was:—

Richard Murray Chant, aged 12 years, a son of Mr and Mrs A. R. Chant, of Wataroa. The driver of the van, Eric Thomson, of Wataroa, escaped injury. The van was returning from Okarito Forks to Wataroa and at about 7.45 p.m. it left the road at a slight bend about two miles south of Wataroa, a few hundred yards from the Gilles homestead.

After leaving the road, the van apparently somersaulted and was completely wrecked, down a low bank. Indications are that the boy was thrown clear and was then struck by the somersaulting vehicle. He suffered a broken neck, death being instantaneous.

An inquest was opened at Wataroa today before the District Coroner, Mr G. Northcroft, J.P. and was adjourned sine die after evidence of identification had ben given. The victim is survived by his parents and three brothers. His father, Mr A. R. Chant, is engaged as a logging contractor at Wataroa. The driver of the van is a son of Mr G. J. Thomson, butcher of Wataroa.