CROSSING SMASH

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1931, Page 5

CROSSING SMASH

TWO KILLED ~ t Mother and Daughter H (Per Press Association.) STRATFORD, May 1. j. Three people are unconscious and an- \ ocher person is dead as th? result of a , r 1 crossing smash this afternoon when the I J. j South Express to Wanganui struck a car in Sefton Street, Stratford. The car was hurled against an iron post, p a-ul the*occupants of the. rear seat, Mrs AlcKeuzie and Mrs Millar, were thrown several yards through the door of a motor shed- on the side of the street. William Hathaxyay and his wife were ! thrown on to the* road. All four were •I taken to the hospital in an unconscious ; ' condition. L i .vxi. of Wellington, who was 1 I the mother of Mrs Hathaway, w:ls dead* L ; on arrival at the Hospital. I Mrs McKenzie, a resident of Hamilton, is a sister of Mrs Hathaway. FURTHER PARTICULARS. i A TERRIFIC IMPACT. 'l SECOND DEATH. J . . | J . NEW PLYMOUTH, May 1. ; The south-bound New Plymouth-Wa- | nganui passenger train struck and overturned 'a five-seater motor car at ! Seyton Road tailway crossing, Strat- ' ! ford, this afternoon. Two women wree ” killed,, and a, man was seriously injured. I Those killed are:— ' .Mrs J. A. Miller ,a.ged 6s,.widow of) I I the late Hon. Mr Miller, of Wellington ’ (anc) mother of Mrs W. Hathaway, of 1 1 Flint Road, Stratford), who died on J ‘.her admission to the hospital. l j Mrs McKenzie, of Hamilton, who was I ’ i very seriously injured, and who died at ’ Stratford public hospital. I J ! Mrs W. Hathaway is suffering from J severe bruises all over the body and I shock. She'is in a private hospital. i Mr William Hathaway is seriously in-' ' jured about the head and chest, and he has a broken shoulder. He also was taken to the hospital, and his condi- ' tion is serious. ■ The engine struck portion of > » I the car, and sent it hurtling through ; ’! the air to crash in a crumpled mass nga’nst a. telegraph pole. ' I Mrs Miller and Mrs McKenzie arrived 1 l at Stratford last Saturday, intending ‘ to spend a holiday with Mr and Mrs Hathaway. Mr Hathaway is 75 years] of age. and grave doubts of his reeov--3 erv are 'entertained. People who saw the accident or were ! j on the spot soon after the crash, say i Mr Hathaway was driving with his I wife also in the front seat. Mrs Miller and Mrs McKenzie occupied the rear 1 seat. The crossing is dangerous, because the visibility is obscured by a shod. Apparently the car had almost - crossed the lines when the engine I struck the rear portion, flinging it violently aside, turning it over, and bring’ng it to rest lying on its side facing in almost the opposite direction tn that in which it had been going. So violent was the impact that Mrs Miller and Mrs McKenzie wore hurled from thp roar, a distance of f : ve or six yards against the closed and bolted doors of > a garage, shattering the timbers. The 5 two lad’Os wore lying inside the gar- ’ , ago when helpers rushed to their assistance. ■ ■ ■ • i