FATAL CROSSING ACCIDENT

Southland Times, Issue 25334, 10 April 1944, Page 4

FATAL CROSSING ACCIDENT

OAMARU CLERGYMAN KILLED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, April 9. One person was killed almost instantly and another, a boy, received fatal injuries when the northbound express on Saturday afternoon crashed into a car on the crossing at Herbert. ’Hie victims were:— The Rev. Wilfrid Lawson Marsh, aged 62, of Columba Presbyterian Church, Oamaru. David Allan Cairns, aged 10, son of Mrs D. Cairns, of Lune street, Oamaru. The car, which was driven by Mr Marsh, was badly smashed. The express took the body of Mr Marsh and the boy to Oamaru, where Cairns was taken to the Oamaru hospital, dying at 4 o’clock.

Mr Marsh, who was bom in England, served in the last war as a chaplain and in 1927 came to Devonport, Auckland. He received a call to Oamaru in 1935. He was an outstanding personality in the Presbyterian Church, being immediate past moderator of the Oamaru Presbytery. Mr Marsh is survived by his wife, one son, Dr Howard Marsh, now a squadron leader in the Pacific, and one daughter. TWO COLLIDE Young Woman Killed (P.A.) NELSON, April 9. A collision between two cars at Richmond, eight miles from Nelson, this afternoon resulted in one passenger being killed and four others admitted to the Nelson hospital, two in a serious condition. The victuns were:— DEAD Miss ■ Averil ■ Annette Tanner, aged 24, of Richmond, school teacher; killed instantaneously. INJURED AND ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL Mrs Eva Tanner, wife of Mr Albert William Tanner, of Richmond; condition serious. , Mrs Clarice Karina Gilbert, wife of Mr Albert Gilbert, of Stoke; condition serious. Edward Samuel William Parsons and his wife, Mrs Florence Parsons, ,of Karori, Wellington; nature of injuries not ascertainable.Mr and Mrs Parsons, who were on holiday, were in Mrs Tanner’s car when a collision occurred with a car driven by Mr Albert Gilbert. Mrs Tanner’s car overturned on to the hood in a-ditch. When Air Force trainees extracted the passengers it was found that Miss Tanner was dead. SEARCH FOR FISHING PARTY No Trace Of Three Men (P.A.) ' AUCKLAND, April 9. Three men who left Orewa beach in a 14-foot dinghy this morning to go fishing ’had not returned tonight and searches in other boats and from (he air had failed to find them at a late hour. The men were: Benjamin Hamilton, aged 60, draper of Warkworth. ■ Samuel Edward King, aged 40, contractor, of Wainui. • A United' States serviceman. A strong off-shore wind was blowing. It was feared that in the afternoon the dinghy had been blown out to The Royal New Zealand Air Force assisted in the search. YOUNG MAN”DROWNED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 9. A man was ■ drowned in a stream about two miles south of Helensville when he apparently had an attack of cramp while swimming by himself. Some, difficulty was experienced, in locating the-body, which was recovered tonight. The victim was:— Allan Malcolm Hill, farm hand, aged 30, elder son of Mr C. R. Hill, of Makiri, Helensville. _ . When Mr Hill went swimming an 11-year-old boy from a neighbouring farm accompanied him, but did not enter the water. The lad saw the victim disappear in about 12 feet of water. DROWNED IN FLOODED RIVER (P.A.) GREYMOUTH, April 9. A deerstalking expedition ended in tragedy today. Loftus McVicar, aged 18, of Totara Flat, was swept from his horse when fording a flooded river near Waiuta. His companion was unable to reach him. McVicar was carried downstream. A search party found no trace of the body.