Woman Killed in Crossing Smash

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 289, 7 December 1936, Page 6

Woman Killed in Crossing Smash

Sunday Train Wrecks Car

VICTIM FARMER’S WIFE FROM DANNEVIRKE

The West street railway crossing claimed another victim yesterday when the second Sunday excursion train from Wellington to Palmerston North arriving just before 1 p.m. crashed into a motor-car, the driver of which cvidTently failed to see both the approaching train and the flashing red lights.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Ernest Pawson, of Kaumati, near Dannevirke, with their two young children, left their homo yesterday morning to proceed to Poxton beach. All went well until th&y reached the West street crossing, the heavy K engine striking the front of the car with such forco that it was thrown into the wooden rails of the roadside fence to completely demolish them. Mr. Pawson was thrown out and was picked up lying alongside the track. He had been on the side that received the full force of the impact and everybdtly expected him to havo been killed outright. An examination showed, however, that ho had had a remarkable escape with not a bone broken and his injuries coniined to lacerations of the scalp and'right hand. Helpers found Mrs. Pawson half in and half out of the ear. She was dead, having been killed instantaneously. Of the two children, the youngest named Margaret, aged 2i years, was lifted out of the -wrecked car unhurt, while the little boy Bruce, aged 5 years, who also remained in tlio car, escaped with a cut on the head and a little linger Jhurt.

Mr. Pawson and his son were removed to hospital.

Mrs. Pawson was aged about 42 years. A remarkable feature of the occurrence was that nu fewer than four people had presentiments that an accident was about to happen. A taxidriver waiting at the railway station, fully a quarter of a mile back, saw Mr. Pawson pass and knowing that the train was near, watched his progress along Main street. Something told him Ike two were going to meet in collision and they did. Peculiarly enough, three men standing near the crossing had the same feeling as the car came towards them. A moment later they -were horrified eyewitnesses.

Motor-cyclist Killed COLLISION WITH TRUCK Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Last Night. Ivor Blanchard, aged 25, a farm labourer, was killed instantaneously at Queenstown yesterday when a motorcycle ho was riding collided with a truck driven by William Thompson, of Queenstown.