SLOW RECOVERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21794, 8 May 1934, Page 8

SLOW RECOVERY

INJURED CONSTABLE THEFT OF CAR RECALLED CHEERFUL COURAGE SHOWN Still confined to his homo, Constable E. E. Stewart, of tho Newton police station, who had his right leg badlv fractured in a bravo attempt to arrest a motor-car thief last September, is making only slow progress toward recovery. Both bpnes of the leg below the knee were fractured when the constable was thrown off tho running-board of the car, which the thief apparently drove deliberately into a stationary vehicle with the object of dislodging him. The smaller bono has knitted, but tb.o larger, which was fractured in two places, is still giving trouble. Constable Stewart underwent an operation at the Auckland Hospital 10 days ago, when a number of pieces of bone wero removed from between the two fractures. So far the latter have failed to knit, and it is possible that a bene-grafting operation may have to be performed. In any case, it will be many months before tho patient has tho use of his leg again

Constable Stewart is still troubled by after-effects of the shock that accompanied his injury. He was flung 30 yards from the point of impact with the stationary car, and beside his major injury suffered a broken thumb aud painful abrasions. The thief, whom he overtook in Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, escaped and was not traced, in spite of most strenuous efforts by tho police. The injured constable faces the future with cheerful courage, although it is doubtful if he will ever be fit for police duty again. He has been much cheered by the commendation he received from all quarters and particularly from tho motoring organisations in both tho North and South Islands, which presented him with, sums amounting to £IOO.