RAILWAY ACCIDENTS

Grey River Argus, 27 February 1945, Page 2

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS

BUS SET AFIRE BY COLLISION. WELLINGTON, February 26. The Wairarapa express leaving Wellington at 7.50 this morning ran into an empty railway school bus proceeding to collect school children at Andrew’s crossing, near Belmont. The bus caught fire and the front of the railway engine was badly damaged. The track here is single, and in consequence down trains from Upper Hutt bringing people to work had to transfer them to buses sent to pick them up. The express was unable to proceed owing to suspected damage to the line. The driver of the bus, Mr C. T. Bevan., received severe cuts on the head which are not thought _ to be serious. The driver of the engine, Mr L. J. Barraclough, received a fractured wrist Both were taken to the Hutt Hospital. Bevan was either thrown clear or jumped off the bus at the cattle stop, but managed to crawl through a fence amongst some gorse where he was found. The engine driver jumped down to assist him, when he fractured his wrist. The bus, which was carried up the line for 365 feet after the collision, at the time of the accident was on its way to pick up 17 school children on their way, to school at Lower Hutt. It burst into flames immediately it was disengaged from the engine, and burnt with intense heat, expanding the rails, which had to be straightened before normal traffic could be resumed. TRAINS COLLIDE. WANGANUI, February 24. Bound from Wanganui by way of Aramoho Junction, a mixed train scheduled to travel to Palmerston North, swung on to a branch line outside Aramoho station and ran head on into a' stationary goods train. The fireman of the mixed train suffered facial cuts, but otherwise no injuries were suffered by the crews. Three loaded trucks immediately behind the tender of the. K.A. class locomotive from Wanganui were partially crushed and thrown off the track in the centre of a level crossing, while both the A.B. engine, its tender, and the guard’s van behind it on the stationary train were extensively damaged. The accident blocked the line to Wanganui and Aramoho. CAR AND BUS COLLIDE. DUNEDIN, February 25. Dr. C. Malthus, of Canterbury University College, was . admitted to the Dunedin Hospital yesterday suffering from head injuries as a result of a collision between a car and a New Zealand Railways passenger bus on the main road bridge at Bushey, near Palmerston. The bus, which was heavily laden with passengers and luggage, wa's travelling from Oamaru to Dunedin. The car, which was returning to Christchurch from Dunedin was driven by Mr S. Denton, of Christchurch, with whom were Mrs Denton and Dr. and Mis Malthus. Several passengers in the bus suffered cuts and bruises, but the passengers in the car, with the exception of Dr Malthus, escaped injury, rhe condition of Dr. Malthus wa's reported to-night to be satisfactory, and it is thought that he will be discharged Hom hospital shortly. Both vehicles were fairly badly damaged. Neithei was able to continue its journey, and relief buses were sent from Dunedin.