JUMP ON TO ENGINE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1935, Page 7

JUMP ON TO ENGINE

TRUCK HIT AT CROSSING DRIVER ESCAPES DEATH MOTOR-LORRY WRECKED man slightly injured By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A miraculous escape from death was experienced by a truck driver, Mr. A. V. Ryan, this afternoon when the truck he was driving was struck by the north bound goods train at the Totara Avenue crossing, New Lynn. The truck was rolled over several times and carried 100 yards along the track on the front of the engine. Mr. Ryan climbed from the wrecked cab of the truck and jumped.on to the fender of the engine, suffering only from a slight cut on the head. On approaching the crossing, Mr. Ryan z was about to look either way for any oncoming trains when his attention was drawn for a moment to a small child playing on the line at the centre of the crossing. He saw the. child run from the line but did not notice the train. Until the actual crash Mr. Ryan was not aware of the approaching train and was given no further opportunity to avoid a collision. At the first irtipact the truck was rolled over several times and across the cattle stop, which is particularly wide at this crossing. Throughout this terrifying experience Mr. Ryan clung to his seat in the cab. Then the truck was partly pushed and partly carried along the line for 100 yards, leaving a train of wreckage. With a good deal of presence of mind Mr. Ryan managed to climb from the cab of the truck and took a jump on to the fender of the engine, where he was standing, little the worse for his experience, when the train was brought to a standstill.