REMARKABLE ESCAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 8

REMARKABLE ESCAPE.

LORRY DRIVER'S EXPERIENCE

COLLISION WITH TRAIN.

VEHICLE BADLY DAMAGED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PALMERSTON NORTH, Monday. A miraculous escape from injury Mas experienced by n motor-lorry driver, Mr. Cecil Thomas, of Huahinc Street, Palmerston North, when bis vehielo was extensively damaged in a collision with a train at the Fitzroy Street railway crossing, Terrace End, at 9.45 this morning. He crawled from the wreckage literally without a scratch.

Mr. Thomas had been loading coal at the Terrace End siding, several chains away. Ife then drove along the gravelled side of the main street, parallel with the railway line, toward Palmerston North. When ho was about to cross the line at Fitzroy Street lie apparently did not sec an approaching mixed train, which was corning from Wanganui. The lorry was struck just behind the cab and was carried for a chain along the line before it was thrown on to the roadside upside down. The cab of the lorry was reduced to matchwood, the windscreen was shattered, and the other parts of the vehicle were twisted, smashed or broken. The sacks of coal were thrown in all directions, while one sack was carried on the cowcatcher of the engine until it pulled up about 200 yds. away.

Mr. I J . 13. Thomas, father of (lie driver, was in charge of another lorry immediately behind. He stated his son was travelling in the same direction as the train and appaiently did not see it. lie was familiar with the crossing, which was quite open. "The first I saw of the boy was when he crawled from beneath the wreckage without having sustained .1 scratch," said Mr. Thomas.