CROSSING TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17228, 7 April 1930, Page 7

CROSSING TRAGEDY

SIX PERSONS KILLED FIVE OTHERS INJURED BUS AND TRAIN COLLIDE {Per Press Association.) WHANGAREI, last night. What is believed to be the worst level crossing accident in the history of New Zealand occurred at (1.5 o’clock last evening, when the Opua-bound express carrying visitors to the Whangarei races struck one of the buses owned by the Northern Motor Bus Co., which was coming from Hikurangi with a load of young people going to the pictures in Whangarei. A tremendous impact occurred on McLeod's crossing near Ilikuraugi and as a result the bus was completely smashed and hurled some distance and, of the 11 occupants, four were killed outright, one died before arrival at Whangarei public hospital and another, whose case teas hopeless from the outset, succumbed this morning. Another, Phillip Sparks, has an extensive fracture of the skull anil the outlook for his recovery is bad.

The dead arc as follows: Sydney Johnson, 15, son of Joseph Johnson, Hikurangi. •Gavin Davidson, l(i, son of Robert Davidson, Hikurangi.

James Rotkwell, 17, of Mountain road, Hikurangi. Irene Darwin, 15, whose parents reside at Peria road, Matamata. Edna Wilson, 23, of Kcsteran Avenue, St. Heliers Bay, Auckland.

Andrew Frew, 17, of Hikurangi. The injured are:— Eileen Trotter, extensive wound on right foot, scalp wounds and body abrasions, and suffering severely from shock. She was operated upon on Sunday morning and is doing well.

Lewis Martin, 16, of George street, Hikurangi, wound on scalp. Fracture of the skull was suspected but examination under an anaesthetic showed that this was not so. The patient is doing well; Noel Wilkinson, 21, driver of the bus, compound fracture of the left shoulder blade, and suffering from severe shock. He was operated upon on Sunday morning and his condition is now good. Trevor Doel, 14, whose parents reside at Hikurangi, extensive wounds on left thigh and injured scalp. He was operated upon on Sunday morn, inti. His chance of recovery is good. Phillip Sparks, 15, whose parents reside in Hikurangi. This was one of the most serious cases admitted to the hospital. The youth was suffering from extensive head injuries and shock. Examination under an anaesthetic on Sunday morning revealed an extensive fracture of the vault of the skull. He was still unconscious this afternoon, when it was not expected that he would recover.

The tragedy occurred with such suddenness, and the survivors are so badly knocked about, that an accurate story cannot be obtained. All that can be stated definitely is that the race-train bound for Opua and the bus travelling towards Whangarei met on the level crossing. The night was dark and there was drizzling rain.

Nine patients, dead and dying, were conveyed in private cars to Whangarei hospital, the yard of which became like a casualty clearing statio* in war-.time. INJURED ALL IMPROVING FEW DETAILS AVAILABLE “CROSSING NOT DANGEROUS” (Per Press Association.) WHANGAREI, this day. There is little fresh to report concerning the level crossing tragedy at McLeod’s Flat. The injured are all progressing satisfactorily, but Sparks is still in a serious state. No information can be obtained from the injured. The work of rescue was rendered difficult bv the fact that the night was dark and drizzling, and that only the guard’s electric torches could be used, benzine fumes making an open light dangerous. The bus was completely wrecked. It was struck fain and square just behind the front wheels, and hurled down a 10ft. bank. Seats, cushions, and bloodstained splinters of wood were strewn for a considerable distance along the line. .Miss Darwin was thrown on a platform above the cowcatcher, and carried 176 yards before the train was nulled up.-She was dead when found. The driver, Noel Wilkinson, whose father is proprietor of a bus company, was the only one to retain consciousness, and managed to crawl out of the wreckage. Rothwell was found on the right hand side of the track, 60 yards from the crossing. Miss Wilson was visiting Hncurang. as the guest of Mr. Jackson, as was also “Miss Trotter, one of the injured. Miss Wilson had made arrangements to return to Auckland, but finally decided to stay over the week-end and attend the races 1 . The accident happened at the first crossing, on the Hikurangi side of McLeod’s Flat, and at a - point where the main highway crosses the line alongside the Mangahahuru siding. In this locality the line crosses the road twice in about 56 chains, and for the whole distance the lino runs parallel with the road. At botli ends, however, there are bends in the line at an oblique angle. Since 1924 persistent but unsuccessful efforts have been made to have both level.crossings eliminated by a deviation of the main highway, hut a railway engineer expressed the opinion that no matter how desirable the elimination might lie, if funds were available they could be spent to more advantages else where, as there were many crossings where the view was not so good as the one at McLeod’s Flat. The Main Hignways Board said it had not intended to do anything. The board’s policy was to provide annually for a limited amount of improvements to dangerous crossings such as overbridges, subways, etc., and added that the McLeod's Flat crossing would not be considered dangerous, though of course it would be an advantage'to have it eliminated.