ONE KILLED AND THREE HURT AT LEVEL CROSSING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18627, 3 December 1928, Page 9

ONE KILLED AND THREE HURT AT LEVEL CROSSING.

DRIVER OF MOTOR-CAR PUT UNDER ARREST. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, December 2. A level crossing accident occurred at Frankton Junction yesterday afternoon, when a car driven by Patrick Deegan, aged forty-eight, miner, of Pukemiro, and containing five other passengers—Mr Alexander John Hamilton, aged thirty-one, married, Frankton, and Mr and Mrs Charles Francis Harold Scown, and their two children, Charles, aged ten, and Mary, aged six, collided with a goods train approaching Frankton from Mercer. The car was overturned and caught fire. Hamilton died in the hospital from head injuries three hours later, and the condition of the boy Charles Scown is critical. The injuries of the father and daughter are also serious. Mrs Scown and Deegan escaped lightly. Deegan was afterwards arrested for being intoxicated while in charge of a REMANDED. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, December 3. Patrick Deegan, the miner of Glenafton, who drove the car concerned in the fatal collision with a tr%in at Frankton crossing on Saturday, was brought before the Magistrate’s Court this morning and charged with being intoxicated while driving a car and causing the death of Alexander John Hamilton. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded. Bail was allowed in the sum of £2OO.

WOMAN PASSENGER FATALLY INJURED.

CAR BACKED DOWN HILL WHEN DRIVER CHANGED GEARS. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, December 3. A motor-car accident which proved fatal to one of the passengers, occured at Plimmerton yesterday afternoon when a roadster driven by L. White, of the Parade, Island Bay, w-ent over a tenfoot bank. The victims of the accident were ; KILLED. Miss J. Lewis, photographer, Aurora Terrace. INJURED. L. White, cabinetmaker, Island Bay, abrasions to the back, right leg and shock. Miss E. Falconbridge, photographer, Parliament Street, abrasions to the right arm and shock. Miss E. Rigby, photographer, Ngahauranga, sprained right ankle and shock. A. Scroggins, cabinetmaker, Taranaki Street, shock. G. M. Russell, clerk, Adelaide Road, shock. The accident occurred about 1 p.m. White was driving to Plimmerton. As he was ascending the hill near the township he attempted to change from top gear to second, but the gear missed and the car ran backwards down the hill and over a ten-foot bank, coming to rest upside down in a creek. The car was badly damaged. The victims were taken to Plimmerton, where the proprietor of Te Coma House saw to their comfort. The free ambulance staff were summoned and were on the scene within forty minutes. Miss Lewis, whose skull was fractured, was dead before the ambulance arrived. Miss Falconbridge and Miss Rigby were taken to their homes and the men were removed to White’s residence.