A Narrow Escape

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 175, 27 July 1938, Page 10

A Narrow Escape

HASTINGS CAR OVER HELL AT WAIPUKURAU OCCUPANTS UNHURT From Our Own Correspondent. HASTINGS, July 25. infe oanaiunum uiu ai waipuKurau was the scene of another extraordinary accident on Friday night, when a Hastings rental car, after crashing through the fence near the sharp bend toward the top of the hill, bounced down the slope and somersaulted three times before reaching the bottom. The car was damaged extensively, but the occupants emerged unhurt. The Pukeora Sanatorium hill has been the scene of a number of accidents, and only recently a special type of “reflector” sign was erected at the bend where most accidents occur. The full details of how Friday’s accident occurred are not available, but it would seem 1 that precautions taken since the last accident to make the road safe have not been entirely successful. Whether the hill is actually dangerous, or whether it is perfect l / safe it reasonable care is exercised would appear to be a matter of dispute however. The subject was discussed at length by the Waipukurau Chamber of Commerce some time ago, when ihe opinion was expressed by a number of speakers that the hill was definitely dangerous. This view was later opposed by the chairman of the Waipukurau County Council, * Mr A. C. Russell, who maintained that it was one of the safest hills in New Zealand, and the read was wide and the Surface good. “We have done all we can, but we can’t control the brains of motorists,” said Mr Russell. Last March three Hastings radio salesmen had a remarkable escape when their car crashed several hundred feet after leaving the road on the bad bend on the ‘‘San” hill, as a result of the car’s headlamps failing. The car landed on the Ongaonga road below, but ■mlv one of the occuoants was inhered DROP DOWN 90-FOOT BANK WAIPUKURAU MOTORIST UNHURT BUT OAR WRECKED Skidding off the road on Saturday morning a sports-model car driven by Mr G. Giblin, of Waipukurau, crashed down a 90-ft bank and ended up hgainst a strainer-post in Farm road, about ten miles from Waipukurau. Mr Giblin, who was the only occupant, had a remarkable escape and stepped out uninjured from the wrecked car. The body work was dented and the doors wrenched off. The front axle was also badly bent and the fabric of the hood torn conslderabiv