7 MEN INJURED IN ROTORUA IN BUSTRUCK COLLISION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22889, 8 March 1949, Page 3

7 MEN INJURED IN ROTORUA IN BUSTRUCK COLLISION

(P.A.) ROTORUA, Mar. 8. When a milk truck and a loaded Road Services’ bus collided at the corner of Maleroy and the old Taupo roads at Rotorua at 7.30 a.m. today the bus hit a culvert and overturned and the milk truck sheared through a corrugated iron fence.

Both vehicles were extensively damaged. Seven people were taken to hospital. They were: Mr. Maxwell Bell, aged 31, married, Malfroy road, driver of the milk truck; admitted for observation with

probable fractures and concussion. Mr. William Otto Hounsell, aged 57, married, Ngongotaha. Mr. Nelson William Cook, aged 44, married, Fairy Springs road. Mr. Victor Livingstone Rosser, aged 52, married, Old Taupo road. Mr. Turi Macpherson, 37 Clayton road, Mr. Harataua Rogers, aged 37, Old Taupo road. Mr. Harvey Hearn Painton, married, Koutu. The above are all employees of the State mill at Waipa. They were treated for minor injuries and discharged. The driver of the bus, Mr. Eric Neil Bennett, was not injured. Travelling along the Old Taupo road to the State Mill, the bus met the milk truck which was proceeding along Maleroy road. After swerving violently the milk vehicle crashed through a fence on to the front lawn of Mr. Lawrence Whistler’s property at 106 Maleroy road. In describing the accident, Mrs. Whistler said: “There was so much noise and dust that I thought there had been a thermal blowout. Mr. Whistler went out to help to extricate the injured.”

When Mr. Whistler reached the scene there was petrol and oil scattered widely.

There had been several accidents at the same place in the past few years.