KILLED BY HORSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19098, 17 August 1925, Page 8

KILLED BY HORSE.

TRAGIC END TO RUNAWAY.

FATE OF A TAXI-DRIVER.

LADY RIDER'S NARROW ESCAPE.

A runaway horse crashed into and killed Mr. John Robeke, taxidriver, at about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon in Green Lane Road, near the entrance to Ellerslie Racecourse.

The horso, which formerly used to be. raced, was ridden by Miss Rita Henry, residing in Ranfurly Road, Epsom. It was apparently startled by a stationary steam roller further along the road and also by the thundering hoofs of racehorses as they galloped past on the adjacent track.

Sergeant Rock, of the Newmarket police, witnessed the occurrence, which he considered to be purely accidental. He saw the uncontrolled horso bolting along the road, obviously beyond tho control of the rider. A little boy on the road tried to get out of its way, but tripped and fell. He had a miraculous escape ftoin death, the horse leaping over him as he lay on the ground. Mr. Robeke was leaning with his elbow on a mudguard of his car, which was parked on the roadside about four feet away from another car. The horse suddenly swerved toward this opening and tried to jump over tho man, who had had his back turned and saw his danger too late to escape. He was struck by the horse's forelegs and was hurled to the ground.

Miss Henry jumped from the horso and fell, receiving a slight scalp wound. The horse pulled up alter going a few more yards. Mr. Bobeke was unconscious, having sustained a fractured skull. He died shortly after admission to the» hospital. Miss Henry suffered from shock, but she was subsequently able to ride home.