TRAMWAY ACCIDENTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1358, 20 June 1918, Page 9

TRAMWAY ACCIDENTS.

ELDERLY WOMAN KILLED. FALLS FROM MOVING CAR. An elderly woman named Laura August:! Blake, residing at 452 Barbadoes Street North, was admitted .to the Hospital at 8 o'clock last night, suffering from injuries sustained by attempting to alight from the 7.42 p.m. Edseware Road car to St. Albans Park while it was in motion. It is assumed that she was on her way home, and, discovering that she had passed her correct stopping-place, 'attempted to alight, falling heavily. She was taken to the Hospital, where she died at 9..'!0 p.m. without having regained consciousness. THE INQUEST. The inquest was conducted by Mill. W. Bishop, Coroner, at the ; Hospital this afternoon. Donald Eric Carrie, house surgeon at the Hospital, said that the - deceased was admitted to the Hospital at 8 p.m. yesterday in an unconscious condition, suffering from a deep scalp wound and fracture of the base of the skull. Deceased died soon" after admission, as a result of her injuries. ■ ! Herbert Arthur Blake, brother-in-law of the deceased, said that she was a widow residing at -152 Barbadoes Street, and was in her 65th .year. Deceased was fairly active, and frequently went to town by the tram. Herbert Shearman, tramways conductor, who was on the No. 2 ear last evening, said that he announced ■ the stop at Packc Street; no passengers alighted, and lie gave the signal to start. There was a woman passenger in the cabin of the car, who told witness that she wanted to get off at the next stop, Dean Street. While he was letting down the side rail, he noticed the passenger walk to the side. Witness called to her to come back, but she took no notice, and stepped off the car. A man sitting on the opposite side of the oar rushed to save her, but was too 'ate. Witness could not reach the deceased in time, and he gave the emergency signal. The tram was travelling from 12 to 14 miles an hour. The accident occurred about five chains from the Packc Street stop. Arthur Leslie Rowe, teacher at Christ's College, corroborated the evidence of Die previous witness. A verdict was returned that the deceased died as the result of injuries received through a fall from a tramcar.

CRUSHED BETWEEN CARS. Another tramway accident with fatal results occurred at New Brighton at 5.40 p.m. yesterday, the victim being William Owers, a tramway conductor. He was a married man, residing at 516 Worcester Street, and was a returned soldier. Owers was engaged at the time in shunting operations, and was adjusting a troily-pole on an electric car, when a trailer ahead ran back, striking him and crushing him between the two cars. Owers sustained a fracture of (he right thigh, the other leg also being seriously injured. After being attended to by Dr W. E. Stevens at New Brighton, he was removed -to the Christchurch Hospital, where an operation was performed, but lie died at 9.45 a.m. to-day. An inquest will be held to-morrow.