RACING CAR DAMAGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18168, 14 August 1922, Page 6

RACING CAR DAMAGED.

STRIKES TELEGRAPH POLE. COLLISION IN PARK ROAD. A collision with .a telegraph pole in Park Road, near Grafton Bridge, at about half-past nine on Saturday evening, considerably damaged a motor-car belonging to Mr. Selwyn Craig, of Mountain Road, Epsom. The owner was in the car at the time Of the accident, but in the driver's seat was Mr. R. Vickerman. With them was a young lady.?-. The machine which was damaged was the well-known Packard racing car in which Mr. Craig some months ago broke the New Zealand speed record at Muriwai Beach. It had recently been fitted up with a new steel K and equipped lor •use as an ordinary touring car. It was being driven along Park Road in the direction of Grafton Road, and had just passed Seafield View Road, when the driver noticed that, possibly owing to some mishap to the steering gear, he was too close in to the- left-hand pavement. Before he could right matters a loud scraping noifio indicated that the mud-guard was in contact with the path, and that the wheels were running hard up against the kerbstone. Next moment the left front wheel of the car mounted the path", and, with a crash which could be heard for some distance, the heavy machine collided with the telegraph pole, and was brought to an immediate standstill, th'e pole withstanding the shock. The occupants of the car escaped serious injury, though- they all more or less suffered temporarily from the shock of the sudden violent concussion. The driver was struck in tha face by portions of the circular handle of the driving-wheel, which was broken in half by the impact, but, there being no wind-Screen, none of the party was cut about. A telephone wire, stretched from the pole which had been struck, snapped off near the insulator which had been holding it on another polo further along the road, and fell to the ground. Investigation showed that the car had taken the worst of the shock on its springs between the left front wheel and the radiator. The head-light carried there was forced back some distance, the glass of the lamp being smashed. The left mudguard was badly buckled! and the bonnet was considerably bent and twisted, though owing to the angle at which the collision had occurred it was the corner of the radiator, which was struck, causing less damage than might have been expected. The front axle also suffered by the force of the impact, and several other parts of the car showed signs of the accident.

It was three hours before the motor mechanics, who had been sent for, were able to take the car in tow and remove it from the scene of its mishap.