BUS DISASTER

Grey River Argus, 26 May 1947, Page 5

BUS DISASTER

Maori Women’s Hockey Teams

FIVE KILLED AND SEVEN IHJUMD

COLLISION WITH TRUCK NEAR WAIROA

(Special to “Argus”) WAIROA, May 25. On Saturday morning there was a shocking accident, due to a collision, on the road between here and Whakaki, about three miles from the latter place. There were twelve casualties, five of them fatal, one of the latter being that of a mother whose daughter was gravely injured. The victims were all travelling in a bus, which vas conveying a team of hockey girls belonging to Nuhaka. On a bend in the road the bus collided at 10 a.m. with a truck, lhe tiay of the latter ripped off the side of the bus, and several of the twenty-six occupants 'were thrown to the road, several being killed outright, Following is the list of casualties:— cerned in the accident, which was not

KILLED Mrs Daisy Howard, aged 46. Miss Hine Campbell, aged 35. Mrs Okeroa Raroa, aged 30. Miss Sophie Mita, aged 30. Miss Brenda Carey, aged 22. Miss Carey, who was recently appointed schoolteacher at Nuhaka, only arrived at the settlement a few days ago after attending her father’s funeral in Otago. INJURED Miss Roberta Howard, aged S. Mrs Mary Mita, aged 36. Miss Waitangi Hawkins, aged 23. Mrs Joe Wairau, aged 30. Miss M. Walker, aged 25. Mrs Molly Babbington, aged 28. Rebecca Gemmell, aged 2i. Roberta Howard (nee Lewis) had been adopted by Mrs Howard (who was killed). Miss Howard’s condition is critical, as also is that of Miss Waitangi Hawkins. Both are suffering from serious injuries to the right side and to the head.

The child, Rebecca Gemmell, aged 25, has been discharged from the hospital. The condition of the other four patients is serious. At present it is impossible to state what the cause of the accident was.

The bus, driven by Mr Denby Boyd, was taking the hockey team from Nuhaka to Wairoa, the majority of the passengers being Maoris. The team was accompanied by three women chaperones and six children. Miss Howard and Miss Carey were Europeans. The truck was driven by Mr Roy Sturm, who had with him Mi’ Tom Kane. The truck was hardly damaged.

Heavy rain was falling at the time, visibility was poor, and the . road greasy after heavy overnight rain.

The bus driver and other passengers, all of whom were suffering from shock, were treated at the scene of the accident and then taken either to the Wairoa Hospital or their homes. BUS DRIVER’S CONDITION The bus driver, Denby Boyd, although uninjured, is suffering from severe shock, and up to the present he has been unable to make a statement. A visit to the scene of the accident, which is twelve miles from Wairoa, disclosed that the bend is quite a safe one, the visibility, from both sides, being exceptionally good—that from the northern end being one hundred and ten yards, whilst that from the southern approach is nearly three hundred yards. With the heavy rain falling at the time of the accident, all of the windows of the bus were closed, and the atmosphere within was very thick, which may have lessened the visibility. TRUCK DRIVER’S ACCOUNT The driver of the truck, Roy Sturm, said that he saw the bus approaching. He was expecting, every second, that Boyd would pull over, but he failed to do so. Apparently he had not noticed the oncoming vehicle until it was too late, and the bus struck the lorry on the right-hand side. The bus, which was carrying upwards of thirty passengers, suffered severe damage, the right-hand side of it being completely torn out, and the seats torn from their sockets; but a remarkable fact is that the engine of the bus did not suffer any damage, and, when those killed and injured were removed, the bus was able to proceed under its own power back to Nuhaka. PASSENGER'S STORY Mrs Henrietta Harrison, a passenger, stated that the whole party was engaged in singing choruses. She was facing the opposite way when the impact occurred, and she sang out to the driver: “You’ve had a blowout, Denby!” On turning, Mrs Harrison was shocked to see the complete side of the bus being torn away. One passenger had taken a seat belonging to another player, and, when she was told of it, she decided to stand. The woman who took the seat was one of those who were killed instantly. A SAD CASE A tragic feature of the death of Miss Brenda Carey was the fact that, in order to keep faith with the club, she had returned to Nuhaka only on Friday night, after attending the funeral of her father in Central Otago. HARROWING SPECTACLE FOR NURSE The first on the scene was Sister Murray. District Nurse, of Nuhaka, who rendered outstanding service in attending to the injured, and doing the best to make them comfortable in very trying weather conditions, it being bitterly cold, with a heavy driving rain. When she arrived on the scene, the bodies of those who were killed w’ere lying on the roadway and in the bus, whilst the injured were all in deep pain, some of them being pinned beneath the fittings and under the bodies of other victims. The first man to arrive was ATr G. W. Powdrell, a nearby farmer, who, after notifying the police, went to the accident, aiding Sister Murray in her work among *he women, an.d sending those who were able to proceed to his home, on the lorry con-

damaged. Medical aid and police proceeded out from Wairoa, and an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, taking those who were injured to the hospital, where special preparations had been made for their reception. “It was like a battle scene’’, stated another person who reached the scene of the accident later. “One of the women, Mrs Babbington, was lying in a ditch filled with water by the side of the road, whilst others were lying on the side of the road, their groans being pitiful, whilst the injuries to those who succumbed were of an extreme nature. Those who escaped gave their coats and pullovers freely with the endeavour of securing some warmth for the unfortunate passengers who had been hurt”.

TWO TEAMS ABOARD The party comprised two Nuhaka hockey teams, three chaperones, and six children, the driver being the only male passenger on board. They were en route to Wairoa to take part in a special tourney for a number of trophies. An inquest was opened this morning before Mr T. Sweetman, J.F., and a jury, and, after evidence of identification was given, it was adjourned sine die. The bodies of four victims were taken to Nuhaka, whilst that of Miss Carey will be interred at Palmerston South. A TANGI The funerals will take place on Tuesday, and at present a tangi is being held, which is being exceptionally largely attended. The bereaved are being inundated with messages of sympathy, including one from the Prime Minister, and one from other Ministers of the Cabinet. The latest inquiries to-night show that the condition of the injured is unchanged. Mrs Daisy Howard was the wife of Mr Trevor Howard. Miss Brenda Carey was the daughter of Mrs Carey, of Palmerston South. Mrs Okeroa Raroa was the wife of Mr Rumbo Raroa. Miss Sophie Mita was a daughter of Mrs Pani. Mrs Hine Campbell was the wife of Mr Sydney Campbell. Of the injured, Miss Mary Walker is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Mo. Walker. Mrs Mary Mita is the wife of Mr Joe Mita. Miss Waitangi Hawkins is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Jury Hawkins. Mrs Molly Babbington is the wife of Mr William Babbington, and Miss Missi Walker is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Mo. Walker. Roberta Howard is the adopted daughter of the deceased Mrs Daisy Howard and Mr Trevor Howard. Rebecca Gemmell, aged 30 months, is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Sydney Gemmell, of Opoutama. All of the victims belong. to Nuhaka, unless otherwise stated.