FIRE ENGINE ACCIDENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21426, 25 February 1933, Page 10

FIRE ENGINE ACCIDENT

COLLISION WITH A POST MAN SENT TO HOSPITAL PANIC AMONG PEDESTRIANS [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] DUNEDIX, Friday In attempting to avoid a collision with a motor-car at the intersection of Princes and Rattray Streets, one of the city fire brigade's engines crashed s.gainst an iron verandah post. One of the firemen, Mr. James I. McDonnell, was thrown from the machine and wd,s taken to the hospital with severe head injuries and a compound fracture of the left leg. His condition this morning was reported to be satisfactory.

Other firemen were thrown on to the footpath, but they were not injured. A little boy was knocked down when the crowd rushed away from the corner, and pieces of metal from the post narrowly missed several women, including one with two children in a perambulator. The brigade was answering a call from the corner of Hill and MacLaggan Streets. It turned from Lower High Street into Rattray Street at a speed of 30 miles an hour, sounding its siren. A sedan cap came across the intersection from tha Bank of New Zealand corner, and was half-way across when the driver noticed the engine approaching. He was travelling at only five miles an hour and promptly applied his brakes, believing that if ha had accelerated he would have collided with the engine. The brigade driver swerved to the left to avoid the stationary motor-car, but a tramear blocked the pas. sage, and he attempted to swing back ta the right to avoid the tram. The reap of the engine slewed round owing to the weight of the Bailey ladder and struck the verandah post before the driver could straighten up. For a few seconds there was a scene ol panic at the corner, with firemen being thrown off the machine. The post fell to the ground in three sections.

Alarmed pedestrians rushed away from the corner and others were rushing to the scene. An ambulance arrived promptly and the injured man was removed to the hospital. Little damage was done to the fira engine, but it was immediately returned to the central station. The following machine proceeded to the fire.