TRAGIC ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19860, 2 February 1928, Page 10

TRAGIC ACCIDENT.

STRUCK BY A MOTOR. LITTLE GIRL KILLED. SISTER GRAVELY INJURED. BOTH ON WAY TO SCHOOL;!! [BY TELEGRAPH.—-OWN CORRESPONDENT.! I GISBORNE. Wednesday. - 1 A shocking accident occurred in Aw*. '•! puni Road, near the entrance to the j Awapuni school, this morning, when , . ?f| motor-car heavily laden with passengers j ran down two little girls, killing on „ and severely injuring the other : 1 The victim of tho fatality was Edr*» ] Third, aged 8 years, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Third, residents of Salisbury Road. I The injured girl is Faith, the second child .of Mr. and Mrs. Third, aged 5 j years. ! Mr. Third is an employee of the Post ! and Telecraph Department. According to the story of an eye-wit-ness, the two children, who were pupifo of the Awapuni school, came across the paddocks between Salisbury Road and Awapuni Road on their way to school a few minutes before nine o'clock. The ' car, laden with seven adult Maoris tad ; driven by Thomas Dennis, jun., was pro- §| ceedmg toward town, having foliowed the Awapuni Hoad in from Malawhero. The children passed behind a Borough Council rubbish cart, and suddenly walked out in front of the approaching car,, the driver of which sounded his horn as be approached the other vehicle. Too , $ to pull up, the car-driver saw th« chil. di-en in his track and swiftly swervfcd to the left, leaving the metalled surface of the road and swinging down off the crown into the grass a foot or two below its level. ihe .childien took the same direction in their panic-stricken efforts to avoid the collision and the accident followed swiftly. Struck by the car, the little girls were thrown headlong upon the grass, one be. ing killed instantly, while the other safi'ered a severe blow on the head and painful leg injuries. An employee of the Po\Ver Board who rushed to the assistance of the victims, found the girl so battered about the head that death must Lave been instantaneous. The younger child ww conscious, although slightly stunned and suffering badly from shock. With brakes locked the car was pulled up within 10yds. of the point of impact. The wheel tracks clearly indicated tho course taken by the driver in his effort to escape hitting the children. From the stories of those who saw the fatality, the car was proceeding at a moderate speed. The suddenness of the children's appearance and their startled effort to cross the road ahead of the car produced s. tragic result. The occupants of the motor were a!' Maoris, the driver being the well-known native footballer who toured Britain auil France with the Maori Rugby team.