LORRY FALLS ON ROCKS

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1934, Page 6

LORRY FALLS ON ROCKS

CRASH OVER WHARF EDGE MEN HAVE MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.' ONLY SLIGHT INJURIES SUFFERED VEHICLE CRANKED WHEN IN GEAR

Somersaulting backwards from the edge of the Newton King wharf at the port of New Plymouth yesterday afternoon, a 30cwt. motor truck crashed upside down on the rocks laid bare 18 feet below by the receding tide. Two New Plymouth Harbour Board employees, George Robert Loveridge, Roy Terrace, and Cyril Boxwell Williams, Ngamotu Road, were standing on the decking behind the cab and went overboard with the lorry. They had a miraculous escape from being crushed as the truck turned over, and were picked up in a conscious condition on rocks covered by a few inches of water. The men were despatched to the New Plymouth hospital by ambulance. The condition of both men last night was satisfactory. Mr. Loveridge had two broken ribs and a broken wrist and Mr. Williams suffered from general abrasions.

The truck belonged to the harbour board and was backed to the edge of the shone end of the wharf to be loaded with the removable boat davits at the landing. These had been placed on the truck, Messrs Williams and Loveridge remaining on the deck while David J. Lynch, the driver, went to crank the Vehicle. The gear lever had apparently been left engaged. When the engine was turned over the back wheels mounted the stringers in spite of the effect of the hand brake, causing truck, men and davits to topple backwards. The tide was out and there was a drop of nearly 20 feet to the rock protective works. The rear of the truck dived under the wharf and the cab came down on the rocks with sickening force, the vehicle rolling over sideways to face in the opposite direction.

Both men were thrown clear and were assisted out of their predicament with help called by .Mr. Lynch. Dr. G. H. Thomson was called and ordered both to hospital, where an X-ray examination showed that injuries were not extensive. The harbour board crane was commissioned to haul the truck back to the wharf, where the body showed signs of twist and strain, while the cab and bodywork suffered. It was taken to the workshop for repair. The escape from serious injury enjoyed by Messrs Loveridge and Williams was characterised by eye-witnesses as miraculous. Apart from the risk of drowning had the tide been in, both emerged without being crushed by the truck against the rocks or struck by the falling davits, which weighed about 3cwt. each.