MAN AND WOMAN

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1938, Page 7

MAN AND WOMAN

f Killed at Auckland ♦ . [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, December 4. In a collision on the Titirangi railway crossing, between a northwardsbound special goods train and a fiveseater saloon motor-car. A man and a woman were killed and a second man was severely injured, just after 3.30 p.m., on Saturday. The victims were:— Killed: CHARLES PURNELL PARKERSON, married, aged 60. years, retired company organiser, and sales, of Princess Street, Otahuhu. MRS ANGELINA HARRISON, aged 56 years, of Norfolk Street, Ponsonby.

Severely injured: MISS EVELYN HARRISON, aged 38 years, dressmaker, of Norfolk Street, Ponsonby, and daughter of Mrs Harrison. She has a dress- ' making business in the Dilworth Buildings. Struck, broadside on by the engine of the goods train, which had just left New Lynn for Whangarei, the car was carried over tne cattlestop, Flames were coming from it before it slewed to its side. It came to rest upside down, facing the road a distance of over 48 feet from the place of the impact. Petrol flowed freely the car being a blazing wreck. Miss Harrison was thrown clear with a lacerated scalp, and suffering from severe burns, about 30 yards from where the car came to rest. From the accounts of the accident, her clothing was then on fire. She had been sitting next to Parkerson, who was pulled clear by the driver of the train, which had stopped just past the car. j

1 Parkerson’s clothing was then burni ing, and much of it had disappeared. He was then dead. | At that stage, it was impossible to rescue the body of Mrs Harrison, who 'was at the back of the blazing car, I the heat of the Are being terrific. Not until the Avondale Fire Brigade arrived, and suppressed the flames, were I the charred and unrecognisable reI mains of Mrs Harrison removed from the wreckage, which was then little more than a skeleton, with types that I had burned fiercely. j It was at first thought that the remains were those of a man, subsequent identification of the body being afforded by a small portion of I dress material and some beads Not until about three hours after the accident was identification made by Robert Moles, a labourer, who resided at the home of Mrs Harrison. Miss Harrison was conscious, and she inquired about her mother before the arrival of the ambulance, which was summoned at 3.35 p.m., and left immediately for the scene. In the which also carried the body of Parkerson, she became unconscious, and, soon after her arrival at the Auckland Hospital, she underwent an operation. I Subsequently, the remains of Mrs Harrison were conveyed to the mortuary at the hospital in the ambulance.

The fireman of the train was so affected by the accident that he was unable to continue the journey, and he had to be taken to his home. Another fireman had to be found, and the train was delayed for 40 minutes. The occupants of the car had been on a drive to Titirangi, and they were returning when they approached Great North Road. According to Reginald Earl, a boy of 17 years, who witnessed the accident, the locomotive whistle sounded twice, and the bells were ringing o'n the ’crossing. M thought, at first, that the car would just clear the engine,” he said. “Then there was a crash.” Other eye-witnesses were a man and his little girl. The father was holding up his child to see the train pass when the collision occurred. The Titirangi crossing had been the scene of much constructional activity for some time. Newly-aligned tracks were recently laid to replace the former line, and high banks have been formed in preparation for the erection of an overhead railway bridge to eliminate the level crossing.