CRASH AT BRIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23774, 30 September 1940, Page 6

CRASH AT BRIDGE

BUS FALLS INTO STREAM FIVE PERSONS INJUfIED i • MISHAP " NEAR OPOTIKI i -'V I [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] OPCIXKJ, Snnday As the result of a passenger bus crashing into a bridge at Tirohanga early this morning, jive people were injured and admitted to the Opotiki Hospital. The victims were Mrs. Alan Swinton,' Mrs. Charles Mitai, Miss Hene Stirling, Miss Mika Eruera and Mr, Robert Crawford, all resident at Waihau Bay, Raukokore. They were all suffering from concussion, cuts and shock. The bus, which is owned by Mr. W. Walker, of Waihau Bay, had been hired to take basketball players and others to Opotiki, was being driven by a Maori youth, Mr. W. Atiata,* and there were 19 passengers. It was on. the return journey about 4 a.m. and when negotiating two bends at the Tirohanga Stream bridge it crashed into the righthand post of the bridge and dived into the stream, which is several feet deep. Fortunately the vehicle did not capsize. The passengers in the -back otiha bus were thrown violently forward r and several were unconscious. Tho bridge has long been regarded as dangerous and a tender for the erection of a new structure on a better alignment of the roads was let some time ago. As an economy measure the Main Highways Board decided recently not to proceed with the construction of ,the new bridge in the meantime.