SHOCKING TRAGEDY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10782, 31 December 1928, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY

FATAL ACCIDENT ON TAREWA • HxHl.

; MOTOR. V WAY.'' TWO MAORIS KILLED. THREE OTHERS TN COOK HOSPITAL: • One of the most, sensational acci-. dejits ffli- years o'n the Gisborne-' Wairoa toad occurred about 10.40 a.m. on Saturday, when a lorry containing sfeyen 'Maoris: from:AVhakatane, journeying to a religious meeting at Nuhaka, overturned, two beirigkillecl'amlthrCe'inju'recl. The victims are as follows: ’ ' ; —Killed.—te Tut a Tahawhera, aged do,'married. Wiki Maniapopd, aged 52. v —lnjured—Ngaifo Anihita, head injuries. To Rangi Tamete, injured in the leg and internally. Te Whata Witeria, head injuries. All thd -Maoris were. Natives «? Whakatane. The. party left that township on .Friday morning, anA arrived at Te Kar aka shortly atttr midnight. They left again at 8 ambut, :goiiig down the Tarawa Hdl th • Wave. M. The. driver caWA to the occupants to sump, teit on one did so, Tuta Maniapopo uho, apparently, was inrtantly killed . , ing sti-uck the bitumen- with bis head. Two chains further down, at a particularly sharp hairpin bend, too lorrv capsized, rolled over twrc ■ warris the bank, and ended on its wheels but facing the reverse flay towards Gisborne. Of the seven i the lorry only two were uninjured, the driver, Aniata Ratene, and Matipo. - The former drove m anothm car as far as Mr. Swarbnck’s house, and sent a message to the police and for. medical assistance.- Dr Gunn and Constables Leckie and Koaslip went out immediately, and were, iollowed by the ambulance a few minutes later. The injured men were removed to Cook Hospital, and the two victims were taken to the morgue.

INQUEST OPENS. DRIVER'S EVIDENCE. The inquest was opened on Saturday evening before the Coroner, Mr. E. C. Levvey, S'.M. Aniata R-atene, (driver of thei car, said he was tea laborer. He left Whakatane at 6.15 a.m. on Friday in a One-ton lorry, with cross seats 1 jolted to the floor. . In addition to himself there were six Natives in the party—Ngairo Anihita, Te Rangi Tamete, Te Whata Witeria, Tula Tahawhera,' Wiki Maniapopo, and Tdo Matipo. The luggage of the party weighed between five and six hundredweight. All were Natives of Whakatane, and they were on their wav to a R.'ngatu meeting at Nuhaka. Thev reached Te Karalca at 12 30 a.m. on the Saturday, and left again at 8 a.m. The lorry turned off at Mu'riwai, passed Wharerata-hiU, and commenced to descend Tarewa. hill. He was going down on' second gear and tile brakes were in use, Nearing the end after turning one corner he felt, the Drakes give way, and be knew the lorry was about to run away:. Seated, in .the cab beside witness were Ngairo Anihita and livta Tahawhera, Anihita being next _ to witness. It was a right-hand drive. Witness called to Tuta Tahawhera. to tell them at the tack to get off as he knew the brakes were gone. He was waiting for them to jump and then he intended to. run the lorrv into . the bank. While watting for them to get off the brakes were getting worse, and the lorry wen, very ' fast'found the , next corner. Coming to another corner, a sharp hairpin bend, , thd speed was then verv fast, and the lorry suddenly tipped over right across the _ road. Witness had kept control of the steering wheel, and tried the corner, which was about the thind from the bottom. When the lorrv toppled if turned over twice, landing again upon the wheels. Witness #asfn the calf, but was thrown out when : the lorry made its second turn He stood up and found his leg was slightly injured. He saw the others lying on the road. Anihita, Te Rangi Tamete, le. Whata Witeria and Teo Matipo were all either getting up or in a sitting position. Tuta Tahawher a was—on -the ground and witness lifted him hut fS he was dei#. Witness then asked the .others as to .the fl hereabouts :of Wiki Maniapopo, and looking' back, saw .him lying on the 3 ifout two cha ns away. W.tnos ran up to him, but found he was dead Travelling also to Nuhaka with tS party but in a separate car some distancebehind I'fpinelnf' As wit tme Native named Pi.neko. as witness was examining Wiki uVlan.apopo, Pineko came up, and witness asked him to get some water. Te Rang suggested witness should take RineSKar and get help and pheme, for the police .and a doctor,,and. heMm so going to a house nearby , }\hep he came back a number of other peopfe iSd arrived on the scene and were attending to the they pushed the kmryoffthe load iii to the watertahle. Te Rangi told witness that Wiki MamapTo ia -,,T„ n(v i off when witness had asKpa Tahow-horo to tod tten, to jump. Witness, however, did not see. Wiki Maniapopo jump. /o/Sjeh?s Ho enccd driver, but he had not taken oirf a license this year. He heldl a license formerly when he was working for Ngairo Amhita, as ne • £ drive for him. Ngairo was h , grandfather. The lorry used U.at day was usually utilised to metal Sergeant- McLean. No ofj hafCt a *, They ing to a Religious meeting, an not drink.: He had know to Tahz whero for many ynars. T-nto wa. married man between Jo and o 0 ytete and hi,l an was made for the trip, a. . going to a religious meeting 'VU ness gave formal evidence identity mg the bodies; „j; rt iimed The inquest was then adjourned sine die.- i„ *.. ■ ■ -