TOLL OF THE CROSSING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 14

TOLL OF THE CROSSING

ANOTHER SMASH AT SOCKBURN THREE PERSONS INJURED (Pee United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, November 1. Three persons were injured in a crossing smash at the Sockburn level crossing last night. They were Mrs Jane MacDonald, aged 91, of Moore street, Ashburton, who received a deep cut over the left eye and whose condition is fairly serious; victor M'Clintock, of Tinwald, the driver of the car, a cut on the forehead and shoulder abrasions; Walter M'Clintock, of Tinwald, cuts on the face and abrasions. There were six persons in the car at the time, the others being Mrs E. M'Clintock, M'Clintock's mother, her daughter, Miss Lena M'Clintock, and her granddaughter, Joy MacDonald. They escaped with minor cuts and abrasions. The family was returning to Ashburton from Christchurch about 10.30 p.m., when the almost new sedan car smashed into the Hornby train. The front of the car was demolished. Heavy rain and poor visibility, combined with the fact that the driver is said So have been dazzled by the lights of an approaching car, are blamed for the accident. The Sockburn crossing has one of the worst records in New Zealand, and has accounted for the worst crossing smash on -record in the Dominion. That was in June of 1930, when six persons were killed when a car crashed into the express. This accident happened in much the same circumstances, as heavy rain was falling at the time. Sockburn is one of the crossings which it is proposed to eliminate by the construction of an overbridge.