"FATAL RACE WITH TRAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18468, 3 August 1923, Page 9

"FATAL RACE WITH TRAIN

•"-'■;. ) ; - ♦)" ■ . ' .'** !'■'■*■'-': CHAR-A-BANC STRUCK. EIGHT OCCUPANTS KILLED. " „ GOTHENBURG. 'July) 20 A terrible' instance of the folly of ig-. noring the " Safety Kirst " slogan was revealed here to-day, when an attempt to | save a few minutes resulted in an appalli ing fatality. - ' r.' *" •_ - : -„ ■' • '■ | • A ' party of ■) pleasure-seekers was returning from a ) trip :in a ) char-a-banc, and I approached 'a- level-crossing at the .same time as an' express ti;ain steamed toward it. ■: [' A s*ight slackening 'of speed on the part of the. char-a-banc . would haw allowed ); the express,! to pass, and .) the pleasure-seekers would have, been back in their homes " in a : few minutes. .y.r- Some strange whim (appeared,': to seize the driver of the-char-a-banc, however, and he Ide cided to make a sensational dash and forestall the express. i . . r / His judgment of speed and distance'."was ; faulty, however,'; and the express -struck, the char-a-banc and smashed , it to splinters, ; sending - its!; occupants ; hurtling through space, or crushing them beneath;its wheels.' Eight ofi the pleasure-seekers were killed immediately, then* bodies being muti'ated) to such an extent as to be unrecognisable. Of the others, 21 ; were injured, ; eight being in a serious condition. ■) ''.":'(-).;' '~ \i' '"'"'""'■' ' '-■). Some of the) injured ••';' were hurled 100 yards by the force' of ' the impact. Hardly a screw of the char-a-bano was left intact.