MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1076, 24 July 1924, Page 5

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

CAR SMASHED BY FALLING TREE ACCIDENT IN THE GORGE. A miraculous escape from death was experienced by a party of motorists about a mile and a-half through the Manawatu Gorge, from the Palmerston North end, r n morn 'Uff> a tree which was being felled crashing down on to a motor-car, smashing the vehicle considerably and causing injuries to the occupants. Tho party consisted of Mr S. Gibson, who resides at, the Club Hotel, Palmerston North, Mrs Gibson, his wife, and a friend of tho latter, Miss McConochie, of Dunedin, who is on a visit to tho town. Mr Gibson was en route to Woodville and Dannevirke on business, and the story of tho accident as related to a “Standard” reporter by Mr Gibson on his return to town after the accident is one of a miraculous escape from death.

"A man was stationed at the entrance to tho Gorge,” he said, “and let me through, although I learned afterwards that my cur was the first to go through the Gorge since the big slip which came down some days ago. Had I known that mine was the first car to go through I would not have gone. “We had progressed for about ono mile and a-half when the first thing I knew was recovering my dazed senses and driving tho car into tho side of the Jrank. Just what happened I don’t know, hut tl\ere were some men felling trees on the sloping bank above the road and as we passed the spot a tree which was four times thicker than the bodies of two men combined crashed down on us. As I say, I don’t quite know just what happened, but I think that we were struck by the branches and the rubble which the falling tree brought down with it. It must have formed a bridge across the road before it slipped down to the river, but whether it slid over tho top of our ear 01 not I can’t say. It was Providence that saved us, and we did not got the full weight of the tree as it fell, because if we had done so we would have all been killed. I was momentarily stunned and on regaining my senses I had the presence of inind to turn the car into the bank.

“The men at work,” added Mr Gibson, “were very upset over the accident and they thought at first that the tree had carried the car into the river.”

Mr Gibson was slightly cut about the bauds by tho splintered glass from the windscreen of tho car and was suffering from bruises, but was not seriously injured. Mrs Gibson escaped with bruises, but she was suffering from shock. The most seriously injured appeared to be Miss McConochie, who was complaining about her spine, but it is understood that the doctor did not diagnose any injuries which could be regarded as serious. Following the accident the injured motorists were conveyed Ijack to, town by another car, Mr Gibson’s vehicle being so badly damaged as to be useless.