CROSSING SMASH

Southland Times, Issue 22728, 2 November 1935, Page 6

CROSSING SMASH

THREE INJURED. CAR AND TRAIN COLLIDE. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, November 1. Three persons were injured in a crossing smash at Sockburn level crossing last night. Tfiey were:— Mrs Jane MacDonald of 91 More Street, Ashburton, a deep cut over the left eye. Her condition is fairly serious. Victor McClintock of Tinwald, the driver of the car, a cut on the forehead and shoulder abrasions. Walter McClintock of Tinwald, cuts on the face and abrasions.

There were six persons in the car at the time, the others being, Mrs E. McClintock, McClintock’s mother, her daughter Miss Lena McClintock and her grand-daughter, Joy MacDonald. They escaped with minor cuts and abrasions.

The family was returning to Ashburton from Christchurch at about 10.30 p.m., when their 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 sure to have been dazzled by the lights of an approaching car are blamed for the accident. The Stockburn 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, 1930, when six persons were killed when a car crashed into an express. The accident happened under 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.