MOTOR FATALITY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17699, 28 January 1918, Page 4

MOTOR FATALITY.

COLLISION AT STYX CROSSING.

LADY DIES FROM INJURIES,

OTHER OCCUPANTS OF CAR INJURED.

Shortly before ten o'clock on Satur* day morning a serious accident occurred on tho North Road at the Styx Railway Crossing, when a motor-car carrying five persons came into collision with a north bound train.

'l’iie car was driven by Mr James Ashworth. farmer, of Saltwater Creek, and tho occupants of tho car comprised Mr Ashworth’s wife and three adult daughters, Jane, May and Elizabeth Ashworth. The accident resulted in one death, the victim being Mrs Eliza Ashworth, seventy-four years of age, who was badly hurt and succumbed to shock. The injuries received by the others are a» follow : Miss May Ashworth, severe injuries to leg, and bruises. Miss Jane Ashworth, injuries to arm and bruises. Miss Elizabeth Ashworth, injuries to chest and bruises. Airs Ashworth and her daughters were taken immediately to the Hospital but Airs Ashworth died soon after admission. Alias May Ashworth’s injuries necessitated several stitches. Aliss Jane Ashworth was able to go home yesterday, and at midnight it was reported that the other patients were much easier.

Air Ashworth stated to a reporter that he and his family' left their home at Saltwater Creek at 8.15 a.m., intending to drive into town. He always drove very slowly, and Saturday’s drive was no exception to his general rule. On approaching the Styx Crossing lie saw no sign of an approaching train until within half-a-dozen yards of the railway line, when he suddenly perceived that the train had just reached the road, the: locomotive being over the cattle stops. Ho applied his brake, and endeavoured to stop short, but the oar ran ever the line and just failed to get clear. The locomotive caught the right hand rear end of the car, and tho force of the impact was sufficient to swing the whole car off its wheels, hurling it bodily away. The car twisted round in its course, and finally came to rest with its front facing the line, and about five yards distant. The tonneau, including the rear seat, was torn off the car; the right rear wheel was pulled clean off the axle, the wind screen was smashed, the right hand mudguards crumpled, and the right front tyre and rim were pulled off the wheel. Fragments of the tonneau were thrown into an adjoining paddock. The cowcatcher of the locomotive was bent by the impact. All the occupants of the car were thrown out, and the exact manner in which they' received their injuries can only be guessed at. The railway authorities state that the big brass alarm bells which have been in commission at this crossing since a fatal motor-car and train collision occurred some years ago, were ringing loudly when the car approached, and the locomotive whistle was sounding. The bells were certainly in perfect working order an hour after tho accident, ns was proved when the south-hound train passed over the crossing.

The trees which formerly obscured tho view of approaching trains from persons on tho road have been cut back for a considerable distance, but the view of trains from the road north ol tho crossing is still to some extent obscured by tall weeds growing in a corner section abutting tho line. A test made immediately after tho accident showed that it was quite possible for Air Ashworth to have had no glimpse of tbe train until nearly on to the crossing.

A lad who lives at the Styx saw fcha accident. He states that he was standing on nhe station, and saw the train coming round the corner and on to the crossing. .He heard the whistle and the bells. Just as the train reached the crossing the car went on to the line and the train ran into it. INQUEST OPENED. An inquest on the body of Eliza Martlet Ashworth was opened at the Hospital on Saturday evening, before Air T. A. 15. Bailey, District Coroner. Air D. C. Burns, traffic inspector, represented the Railway Department. William Hunter Will, house surgeon, gave evidence that Mrs Ashworth was admitted to the Hospital at 10.25 a.m. that day, in a dying condition. She died a few minutes after admission to the Hospital. Death was probably due to shock, the result of severe injuries, which included fracture of the skull. William Henry Reeves, eldest son of deceased by a former marriage, gave formal evidence of identification, and said that James Ashworth, his stepfather, was a very careful driver, who had owned a ear for some years. The inquest was then adjourned till Tuesday next, at 5 p.m., at the Magistrate’s Court.

Mrs Ashworth, who was a school teacher by profession, came to New Zealand in 1884, with other members of her family. With her first husband, the late Mr Reeves, she had charge of Tuahiwi Native School, where she remained for many years. Mrs Ashworth was widely known in the North Canterbury district; where she was highly respected for her generous and hospitable disposition. Sho married Mr Ashworth seventeen years ago. Mr Ashworth is a very well known resident of the Sefton district. He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1845, and accompanied his father to the colony in 1853. He worked on the first section of the Sumner Road, from Lyttelton to Christchurch, and assisted in the fencing of the first little paddock that was nmde at Sumner. Subsequently, father and son worked in the Bays for several years. As long ago as 1851 Mr Ashworth and other men went over* laud to Tim am to bring sheep to Rhodes’s Bay. -The family settled at' Saltwater Creek, in October, 1859, and father and son became the pioneers of the carrying trade for North Canterbury, then roadless, bridgeless, and covered with tussock. Their tracks were afterwards largely adopted by road surveyors. They established the first horse teams on the North Road, and had the trade in their own hands for mnnv years. Mr Ashworth carted, the “ Gtenmark ” wool to Kaiapoi in 1559, and frequently afterwards. In 1860 he also carted the wool from St Helen’s, Hanmer Plains, Highfield and Tekon, and during the twenty-one years in which he was engaged in the carrying business, did either all or part' of the carting that was done for all the stations between Kaiapoi and Glenwyc, He also took the first timber from Oxford across the Waiirakoriri for the late Mr Kenrick, for the first houses in the Kirwee and Springfield districts, before there were any bridges on that river. In 1867 he had six teams working at the Taipo, on the West Coast Road. The family are esteemed members of the Methodist Church at Sefton, one of the daughters being church organist. At the Rangiora Methodist Church Inst evening the Rev J. Guy made feeling reference to the tragic death of Mrs Ashworth and the congregation passed a motion expressing deep sympathy with Mr Ashworth and the family in tiiAW sudden bereavement.