PERILS OF THE ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 11

PERILS OF THE ROAD.

MOTORISTS' EXCITING TRIP.

BOG AND RECKLESS "DRIVER

BURNT CAR BY ROADSIDE.

The perils of the road were brought in unusually vivid manner before two Auckland motorists who made "the Te KuitiMokau trip, via. the new Awakino Valley road, last, Saturday. Included in a party which helped to dig the car out of a bad hole encountered on, the outward trip was a man who was riding post-haste to a distant settlement to sec his sick wife, and a road worker who stated that only a, few hours earlier, while carting a heavy load of metal,, his team and- dray had gone over a steep bank into the Awakino River. One of the'leaders- had shied and dragged the two other horses and dray over the edge of the road. , Two of the horses-and the driver had a narrow escape from death, but the third horse, a valuable animal, was so seriously injured that it was not expected to recover. On the return trip, the visitors had a narrow escape from • a head-on collision with another car, which was being driven at a high rate of speed, the two vehicles almost crashing into one another on a sharp bend in the road. Fortunately there was sufficient room for the Aucklanders' car, which was on the outside. to swerve, . otherwise the avoidance of collision must certainly have sent it over the bank. Half-an-hour later the motorists came across a partially-wrecked and abandoned motor-cycle, evidently the victim of a collision not so happily averted, while two or three miles farther on, within a short distance of Pio Pio, they found at the side of the road the charred anu twisted remains ,of a valuable Studebaker car. It was an utter wreck, tyres, fittings, and body of the car having been burned to ashes. Later, it was ascertained that the cause of the accident, was a leaky valve, which set the engine on Are and exploded the benzine tank._ A valiant effort was made by the driver., to extinguish the flames, but the fire had gained too strong a hold and he was compelled to stand by and watch the car go up in flame and smoke. The remainder of the visitors' trip was unattended by any further incident or diversion. ■■ • .