BUGGY ACCIDENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 July 1912, Page 5

BUGGY ACCIDENT.

ON THE MAIN SOUTH ROAD

Shortly before seven o'clock on Thursday -evening the attention of persons in the vicinity of the Hawera Post Office was attracted by a pair of horses harnessed to a buggy careering wildly down Princes street from the Main South road. There was a sudden stop at the crossing to the Egmont Stables. The near-side swingle-tree had been broken, otherwise the horses would have safely negotiated the crossing and not come into contact with the corrugated iron fence at the back of the Egmont Hotel. The pole of the buggy struck the angle of the fence, thus preventing the horses going any farther. _ The parties concerned are very reticent about the accident, but so far as a Star reporter was able to ascertain the facts are as follows:

The buggy containing Mr Angus McLeod and a friend left Manaia shortly after 6 o'clock and when ki the neighborhood of the Riverdale factory met a mob of cattle. The horses took' fright, and went over an embankment, the buggy capsizing. The animals managed to get on to the main road again and bolted for Hawera. In the vicinity of the Waingongoro bridge they overtook a buggv hi which were Mrs Finlay (wife of MFJ. Finlay, Tokaora) and a friend. A collision occurred, Mr Finlay's conveyance suffering considerable damage, and the occupants being ttarown out. Fortunately neither was seriously hurt. The horses then continued their career into Hawera as stated, their appearance obi arrival indicating tiie pace a* which they had travelled. Friends at Manaia were communicated with by Telephone, and it wa« ascer^ r H/ Cin tllat ¥ r McLe°d had left Manaia i ™ ' mrd as ™e k°rs«s arrived at _i le ist office at fiTe Minutes to seven the distance had been eqyered in 35 minutes.

A motor cair was immadfately sant oik to ascertain what had become of the occupants, and they were mot waking their way into town. Fortunately there were n» serious results, altheiigh Mr McLeod was very much shaken The bu^'S.y £»« also considerably damaged Our _ Tokaora eorrejpondent gives the following aceount: What might have been a ifatal acidont was narrowly averted at the Waingongoro bridge, fcouth i;oad, at about 6.30 o'clock yesterday evening. It appears that Mrs and Miss 1< mlay, of Tokaora, were returning home from Matapu, and when about two thirds across the bridge were overtaken by a runaway pair of horses. The poles ot the runaway vehicle smashed into the seat of the buggy driven by Mrs Finlay, carrying the splintered seat and the occupants on to the leading horse and the impack taking the lot clear or the bridge. The runaways, getting clear, made for Hawera/ Some Kaponga residents, who met the runaways coming down the hill at the west side of the bridge had a narrow escape, and knowing the ladies would not have time to be dear of the bridge, returned, and Sound Mis Fmlay lying under her buggy in an unconscious state, while Miss Finlay was holding on to the frightened horse lhe impact had put out the lights and smashed the lamps, and the evening was extremely dark. Willing hands soon had the ladies in the residence of Mr and Mrs Campbell (factory manager), and all that could be done for the sufferers was done with the utmost kindness. A doctor was soon on the spot The ladies had no bones broken, but they have many bruises. -They spent a fair night, hut their nerves are considerably shaken. Mr Campbell drove them in his gig to their own home.