REMARKABLE .ESCAPE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1935, Page 9

REMARKABLE .ESCAPE

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE CAR’S DASH INTO RIVER A remarkable escape was experienced at the Waiongona bridge on the Main North Road during the height of the flood early yesterday morning. A big sedan car somersaulted into the raging torrent when the filling at the New Plymouth side of the bridge had subsided. Both the driver and his passenger escaped without injury. Dr. E. F. Fookes, New Plymouth, received a call shortly after midnight to go beyond Waiongona. He started out in his own car but water in the engine stopped him on the Waiwakaiho flat. He chartered a taxi from Gibson’s Motors Ltd., driven by Mr. Harvey Johnson, They made the call at Waiongona and were on the return journey when the accident occurred. The driver stated that he did not know what happened. They had just crossed the bridge and were on the New Plymouth approach when the entire filling disappeared into the raging stream. Without warning the car fell away to its right) turned one complete somersault, and rested in about five feet of water on its left side. Dr. Fookes was completely’ submerged, and the driver’s window was only a few inches out of water. He scrambled out and dragged the doctor after him, and they reached the bank. After a walk of about a quarter of a mile Mr. Johnson was able to telephone for another car from New Plymouth. Both escaped with scratches, though Dr. Fookes was still suffering from shock last night. Salvage operations on the car proved difficult. The original drop was not a long one, flood waters at the time being only two or three feet below the level of the bridge. As they receded the cat slipped down till in the afternoon it lay 15 feet below the road. There was little damage to the bridge itself, the accident being due to a washout in the approach. A similar accident was narrowly averted about 7.30 a.m. Maoris living nearby stationed themselves oh the approaches to warn traffic but one motorist was disinclined to regard the signals. He stopped a few feet short of the chasm.