CAR SOMERSAULTS ON FAMILY OF FIVE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6815, 21 January 1929, Page 6

CAR SOMERSAULTS ON FAMILY OF FIVE

MOTHER SUPPERS PAINFUL INJURIES. OTHERS ESCAPE WITH BRUISES.

Between 7 and 8 o’clock yesterday morning, Mr. and Mrs. J. Fitch, of Pj-tt street, accompanied by their three children, left Palmerston North by car to pay a visit to Mrs. Fitch’s sister in Wanganui. All went well until the party were between Bulls and Turakina, where the road has a fairly thick coating of loose shingle. The car skidded in this, the wheels locked and the vehicle somersaulted, coming down on top of all five occupants. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch were securely held by the weight of the car upon them, but twe of the children managed to crawl from underneath, and the elder girl showed presence of mind by turning off tho flow of petrol, thus removing a very real danger of fire. Fortunately, help was soon at hand, five young men—students of the Church of Christ—en route to Palmerston North coming on the scene. They quickly righted the car and released the prisoners from the very painful and dangerous predicament. Mrs. Fitch was seen to be rather badly hurt, and no time was wasted in getting her and the rest of the family to Bulls, where medical aid was secured, The injured lady was sent on to the Palmerston North hospital where she was found to havo a severe cut in her log, while her face was very much bruised and her right hand hurt. It is expected that she will be at least a fortnight in the hospital. Mr. Fitch escaped with cuts and bruises and the children with bruises and a severe shaking.

ANOTHER SOMERSAULT. A somewhat similar accident occurred in Worcester street yesterday afternoon. The residents in that usually quiet locality were startled from their afternoon siesta by a loud report followed by the sound of splintering glass. On investigating they found a car lying across the road with its wheels pointing skywards and a youth crawling painfully from underneath. The report was tho sound of a bursting tiro and the wind-screen scattered over the roadwa/ bore testimony to tho narrow escapo tho driver had from broken glass. A bent axle, a battered hood and a broken door were among tho injuries suffered by the car, while the driver was lucky to escape with a severe shaking.,