MECHANIC KILLED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 68, 20 April 1926, Page 8

MECHANIC KILLED

SPEED PACE FATA LIT V. WAIHI. April IS. A fata] accident marred the inaugural -motor sports meeting held av w ailii beach yesterday under the auspices of the Waihi branch of the 1 Auckland Auto,mobile Association. One of i I io cars compoting in the speed events overturned wnen nearing the end of the 1J miles race and the mechanic. Mr William (-olledge, aged 21, was crushed by tlu, car and lolled instantaneously, while Ihe driver, Walter Tanner, a youthful Waihi competitor, was injured. The car caught fire after overturning, but the blaze was extinguished before much damage had been done. The speed event was the fourth race on the programme, and after the accident the remaining five events wer-a abandoned. There was a crowd of about 2000 people present. Six ears were engaged in the pnneiptal race of the day, and as they entered on the last lap Tanner, who was driving a six-cylinder Hudson racing car. was lying second. At the turn his machine capsized. In the first somersault Mr Golledge was thrown out, and the heavy car rolled on him, crushing him to death, The driver retained his seat at the first somersault, but the impetus of the car was so great that on the second, roll he was thrown into the air, and as the car crashed over lie landed dear. The car, on coming, to rest, burst into flames, and one of the competitors following in an Essex ■ car pulled up and subdued the lire with his chemical extinguisher. .Tanner’s car, with a Bngatti. driven by filr Roycroft, of Auckland, was on the scratch mark, and the other four had starts' of tip to three minutes. Tanner gradually overhauled the other car s until lie was in second position, and then the. accident happened. Mr Coil-edge was quite dead when picked up. He was a mechanic by occupation, and. was well-known in boxing circles. Tanner’s injuries were all 'external, and as far as can bo seen at present they arc nob likely fo prove serious. He was removed to the Waihi hospital in an ambulance, 1 Tito speed event was won by the Chrysler, with a Ford (Armitage) second and the Bngatti third.