SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 1 June 1914, Page 8

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

FOOTBALLERS' MISADVENTURES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The return journey of the Opunake senior football team from Hawera on Saturday evening was marked (says our own correspondent) by two 'very unfortunate mishaps. Just as the first car-load was entering Opunake one of the occupants (F. Bayliss )lost his hat, and in leaving the car to recover it he misjudged the speed of the car, with the result that in stepping off he lost his footing and fell heavily on the back of his head, receiving a nasty scalp wound. He was picked up unconscious and carried to the Opunake Hotel, where his wound was promptly attended to by Mr Stohr, pending tKe arrival of the doctor. After Dr Barron had dressed the wound the sufferer was carried up to bed, and at a late hour had failed to recover consciousness.

The second car, driven by Mr C. Little, when passing along the Main South road, just off the Marama road, unfortunately broke a front axle, and with the extra running strain throwing on" the remaining front wheel, the axle of that also parted, letting the front of the cart down on the roadway, But for Mr Little's presence of mind in steering the car up against the one wheel until that also collapsed, it is certain that a serious catastrophe would have occurred. The momentum the car had on was shown by the way it ploughed up the road for a considerable distance, and had the driver lost his nerve and allowed the steering gear to swing, the car must have toppled right over on top of the occupants. As it was, they all got out unscathed, for which, without any shadow of doubt, they should deem themselves exceptionally fortunate.