RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10487, 24 December 1929, Page 2

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

, SMASH AT WINCHESTER. ( MILFORD MAN FATALLY INJURED. ANOTHER UNCONSCIOUS. Yesterday two young men, McAuliffe, aged 19 years, and Wip/ liam Horace Westaway, aged 22 years, both * residents of Milford, were travelling in a motor lorry, to which was attached a trailer containing pigs. McAuliffe was driving, and in endeavouring to cross the railway at Beach road, which is the crossing immediately south of Winchester, must have failed to notice the first express from the north. Miss White, of the Schoolhouse, saw the vehicle passing, and almost immediately afterwards heard a crash, but on looking down the road towards the crossing, could see nothing, as the wreckage had been thrown down the embankment. I‘ seems that the lorry struck the engine, and after being thrown, against the electric light pole, rebounded on to the postal van, which was the second last vehicle. The impact caused McAuliffe to be thrown out. Westaway retained his seat. When David C. Scott, who resides about three-quarters of a mile distant, arrived on the scene, Westaway was conscious, and enquired about his mate and then became unconscious. 'When Scott went to see how McAuliffe was, he found him unconscious. Dr. Scannell and the police were sent for, and Sergeant Dwan at once made arrangements for 'the removal of the injured men to Timaru Hospital the relief express train passing there at about 11.35 being stopped for that purpose, and Constable Southworth accompanied the men to the hospital. No one can yet say what led up to the accident, but it can be surmised that a rainstorm prevented the driver from seeing, or hearing the train. The lorry and trailer were completely wrecked, and two of the pigs were killed outright. The lorry and its freight were the property of Westaway, who is a dealer in pigs. Advice was received in Temuka yesterday afternoon, that Westaway had succumbed to his injuries. An inquest will be opened this morning at the Hospital, before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., when evidence of identification will be taken and an adjournment asked for until some time in January. Deceased was a married man. Inquiry at the Hospital at midnight showed that McAuliffe was in. a fairly serious condition.