CAR OUT OF CONTROL

Wairarapa Age, 20 May 1936, Page 4

CAR OUT OF CONTROL

MOUNTS FOOTPATH IN QUEEN STREET, THREE BICYCLES & TWO POSTS SMASHED. GIRL OF ELEVEN KNOCKED DOWN. A powerful car, apparently started in reverse gear, suddenly careered backward in Queen Street yesterday afternoon, smashed two wooden verandah posts and three bicycles, knocked down a girl of

eleven years and finished up on the footpath against a wooden gate, which was also damaged.

The accident occurred at about 4.35 p.m. The ear, which had been parked outside Mr. T. Hawksworth’s baker's shop, was driven by Mrs. P. D. McLachlan, of “Willow Park," Masterton. From the account of an eyewitness, the car was started and stalled and when restarted the gear was apparently in reverse, as the car careered backward with several jerks and then getting completely , out of control it finished up right across the footpath against a gate between the baker’s shop and the Regent Theatre. In its course it narrowly missed the corner of Mr. Hawksworth’s shop. The girl knocked down was Molly Passpe, living at the corner of Dixon and Smith Streets. She fortunately escaped with a cut on the head and after being attended to by Dr. J. C. Forsyth was taken home. The bicycles belonged to Miss Mary Pither and Messrs Clive Wylie and Charles Wilson. It is somewhat remarkable that more people were not injured, as at that hour of the day the footpaths are usually well filled with pedestrians. The car did not suffer much damage and was able to leave under its own rower.