RUNAWAY MOTOR CAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3772, 29 June 1926, Page 54

RUNAWAY MOTOR CAR.

AUCKLAND, Juno 27. A little before 5 o'clock on Saturday evening a large five-sealer motor car got out of control, and shooting across Queen street out of Durham street, knocked down two pedestrians, smashed a large plateglass window in YVhitcombe and Tombs’s premises, and then a thick iron verandah post. The whole incident is shrouded in mystery. No one seems to be able to account for the car’s dash across Queen street. The owner of the car, Mr Percy A. Bruford, had occasion to call in at the Commercial Travellers’ Club in Durham street to collect some mail, and left the car outside the front door in reverse gear and with the hand brake on. He was in the club for only a few minutes, and on coming out to drive away again, was surprised to see his car dashing downhill towards the main thoroughfare. When the vehicle was abreast of Queen street a young man saw what was happening and, with great presence of mind, leapt on to the running hoard and gave the steering wheel a violent twist in order to save it . from running over a lady and two little girls who were looking in Stewart Dawson’s window. However, the cor was travelling swiftly in top gear, and ho was unable to bring it to a standstill from his precarious position The car mounted the kerbing, knocked down two pedestrians, broke the window and finished up again on the street after it had broken the verandah post in halvos. It was at once seen that one of the unfortunafco pedestrians, a Maori named Mooho Tukeno, aged about 36 years, was seriously injured. The other man, whose name is William W. R. Powlev, also aged about 35 years, waa found to have received cuts and abrasions. »