TWO ACCIDENTS AT WAI-ITI

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 December 1936, Page 4

TWO ACCIDENTS AT WAI-ITI

MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED IN HEAD-ON COLLISION

ANOTHER MOTOR CYCLE COLLIDES WITH TELEGRAPH POLE

TAPAWERA RESIDENT IN CRITICAL CONDITION

The Wai-iti road, just beyond Wakefield, was the scene of a motor cycle tragedy in the early hours of yesterday morning and of another accident, probably about the same time, with the motor cyclist taken to hospital in a very critical condition. Both accidents happened after the conclusion of a dance at Foxhill

Alan Merle Higgins, aged 17 years, farm hand, while proceeding from Foxhill to Wakefield on his motor cycle, came into a head-on collision with a car driven by Mr W. G. Greep, of Tapawera, and was killed outright. Apparently the cycle went under the car and the unfortunate youth was thrown over the car.

It is thought that about this time Mr W. Mclvor, of Tapawera, aged about 21 years, went for a ride on a friend’s motor cycle. Nothing more was heard of him until at 8 o’clock on Sunday morning when Messrs C. T. Webley and A. B. Snow, of Nelson, found him in the ditch at the side of the Wai-iti road very gravely injured. The motor cycle was lying near by. The motor cyclist had evidently collided with a telegraph post, from which he sustained severe head injuries. He was conveyed to the Public Hospital in a very critical condition. It is stated that Mr Mclvor had had only very slight experience with motor cycles. Alan Higgins was a son of Mr Charles Higgins, of Brightwater, arid was employed by Mr Raymond Hunt at 88 Valley. He left his work in the early evening to attend the Foxhill dance, and when the accident happened was on his way to spend the weekend with an aunt at Wakefield. Mr W. Mclvor is a nephew of Mr. E. Griffith, of Tapawera, and is wellknown in that district, where he is engaged in farm work. INQUEST OPENED An inquest on Alan Higgins was opened before Mr T. E. Maunsell, Coroner, yesterday, and adjourned after formal evidence of identification had been taken. MR McIVOR’S CONDITION UNCHANGED The Nelson Hospital reported this afternoon that Mr Mclvor’s condition was unchanged.