FATAL TEAM ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13967, 28 September 1918, Page 6

FATAL TEAM ACCIDENT.

SOLDIER'S WIFE KILLED,'

BODY BADLY MUTILATED.

A TRAMWAY accident, resulting in th« death of a married «-oman named Vir. ■ ginia Smith, aged about 35, who lived at 17, Duke Street, occurred in Victoria Street West about 7.25 last evening. , Car. No. 54, driven by Motorman Andrew Arths., was proceeding down the hill in the direction of Freeman's Bay, and when opposite Gallaugher's stores, below the Graham Street intersection, tha driver noticed the figure of a woman in front of the car. He sounded his gong, and immediately applied his emergency I brake. The woman wa&, However, struck j heavily, and falling under the car, was | dragged for about 20yds to X;ds down, the hill. When the car was brought to a standstill it was found that the unfor. tunate woman was under the front bogey with one of the wheels resting on her bodv. She was dreadfully mutilated. It is conjectured that she was killed almost with the first impact, as no sound was heard after she was 6truck. Constable' Murdoch, in charge of l 9 Freeman's Bay station, and Constablo Heaiy, from the Central Station, were $oon" on the scene, and, with the aid ofj the tramway officers, they removed tha bodv after the car had been jacked up. The body was then taken to the morgue. Later " inquiries elicited the fact that Mrs. Smith, who was very deaf, left the footpath on the left sida of Victoria Street to cross the road in the direction of Hardinge_ Street, and stepped on to the rails in front of the car. The street at this point is comparatively dark, the only bright, lights being on the left side, near tin crest of the hill, tome distance back. The husband of the deceased is en, active service, and her only daughter is a', present in the Auckland Hospital, where she has undergone several operations. The inoucst will be opened to-day.