A FATAL ACCIDENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14976, 23 April 1909, Page 8

A FATAL ACCIDENT.

TREATMENT OF AN INJURED M AN

LACK OF TRANSPORT FACILITIES. An accident, which resulted in the death of the victim last night, occurred at Gientunnel on Monday afternoon, when a middle-aged man named John Doyle was run \ over by a spring trap and sustained injuries to the lower part of his body. The accident occurred as a, result of Doyle’s horse taking fright while he was in a store. On coming out Doyle saw the horse, making off, and in his endeavour to stop it he became entangled with the reins and was thrown to the ground, the trap passing over the lower part of his body. The injured, man was attended by Dr Simpson, who ordered liis immediate removal to the Christchurch Hospital. The journey was made very trying by the fact that a number of delays occurred on the way. Doyle was conveyed to the Gientunnel railway station in a motor-car, and there put on beard the train in charge of his wife, to go to Darfield, where he was to join the train from Springfield to Christchurch. Doyle was placed in a firstclass carriage. There was no stretcher available, .and lie had to be propped on a seat, and the jolting so increased his sufferings that lie had to bo held by his wife and another lady, the only other passengers in the carriage. At Darfield junction the two women were so busily occupied with the injured man that they could make no arrangements for having him transferred to the train from Springfield, by which Gientunnel passengers complete the journey to Christchurch. The guard, however, had helped to carry Doyle into the train at. Gientunnel and knew that he was being taken to Christchurch, and they expected him to leud his assistance. They waited with what patience they could command, and then, to their amazement and horror, saw the train for Christchurch steaming away from tho station. Mrs Doyle rushed out or the carriage and attracted the attention of tho officials, and the train was otopped. Doyle was then carried, as gently as was possible in the. circumstances, to the Christchurch train, but there aga in no way was found of allowing him to lie in any degree of comfort. Dr Si unison had communicated in the meantime with tho Christchurch Hospital, and Dr Orooke ordered an ambulance van to meet the train at Addington, but here again a hitch occurred, and there was no ambulance at the station when tho train arrived. The injured man was therefore carried on to the Christchurch station, and after a wait of about ten minutes the ambulance van .arrived, it having reached Addington just after the train had left that, station. A further delay was occasioned in. removing Doyle from the railway carriage, live minutes being occupied in finding someono to assist, in lifting him into the ambulanco. Doyle’s relatives complain strongly of the absence of facilities on tho railway for the conveyance of a man who was seriously hurt and suffering great pain.

Doyle died at tho Hospital last night about eleven o’clock. Tho direct cause of death is believed to have been poritqnitis, resulting from the interna), injuries received. An inquest will probably ho held to-day.