SEVERE COLLISION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 30 September 1927, Page 5

SEVERE COLLISION

TRAM STRIKES MILK VAN IN HASTINGS STREET, NAPIER. TWO PEOPLE SERIOUSLY INJURED. A head-on collision, with serious consequences, occurred in front of the Hastings Street School, Napier, at 10.30 o’clock last night, between a tramcar and a milk ran containing five occupants, resulting in a woman and a girl being seriously injured and a young man sustaining abrasions. All were removed to the Napier Hospital. The injured are:— Miss Annie Pedersen, aged 17 years; fracture of the skull. Condition critical. Mrs. Matilda Hansen; head injuries, cuts and abrasions. Condition serious. Inc Pedersen, aged 21 years; cuts and abrasions. Condition not serious. The other occupants, Mr. Albert V. Hansen, husband of the injured woman, and Mr. Fred Coker, although considerably shaken, were able to proceed to their homes. Mr. Hansen is a well-known dairyman living at Lower Papakura, while Eric and Annie Pedersen are hie step children. The motorman of the tramcar was Richard Olney, and the conductor William Ford. / The tram was coming in from the Hastings street depot, while the milkvan, which was being driven by Eric Pedersen, was proceeding home, having left the H.B Motor Co.'s garage about half past ten. The front seat ’ was occupied by the driver, his sister, and Mrs. Hansen, while Mr. Hansen and Mr. Coker were seated at the back, It is understood that there was no traffic on the street at the time to obstruct any view, but the mishap is said to be quite an accident. MET HEAD ON.

When just passed the intersection the van and the ear met head on, resulting in a terrific impact, the noise of which could be heard for a considerable distance. Despite the efforts of the motnnnan the car, carrying the wrecked van with it, moved several yards befcre it was brought to a standstill. The van was a tangled, shapeless ruin. Following the impact a crowd soon gathered round to give what assistance they could, when ft was seen that the lady passengers were in a serious condition. Miss Pedersen was found lying on the kerb having been hurled there by the force of the impact. Mrs. Hansen was picked up in front of the van. The ambulance and Dr. Leahy were ’immediately summoned, while in the meantime those who had congregated did all they could for the unfortunate victims who were removed to the Napier Hospital before the arrival of the doctor. AN AWFUL SPECTACLE. The scene of the mishap presented a terrible spectacle, but within half an hour all the evidence that remained of the happening was that the surface of the road was littered with broken glass and splinters of wood, while trails of blood indicated the seriousness of the collision. The only damage done to the tram-car was some denting and twisting of ironwork in the front. The van was, however, reduced to a mangled mass of iron-work, the bonnet and front wheels being broken almost beyond recognition It is now many years sincer such a shocking accident has occurred in Napier.