Bohemia Village Voice

[From Hastings & St Leonards Observer, 1910]

– HASTINGS BOROUGH BENCH –

RUNAWAY HORSE – DRIVER SERIOUSLY INJURED

A passing tramcar was the cause of a serious accident yesterday (Friday) afternoon, at St. Leonards.

A fine but restive horse was drawing a four-wheeled dog cart along Bohemia-road, when a tram-car frightened the animal, which shied violently and bolted. It went at a tremendous pace down Chapel Park-road, kicking furiously.

The driver, Mr. Edwards, one of the best drivers in Hastings, tried pluckily, but without avail, to control the horse. He endeavoured to turn it in the direction of De Cham-road.

Opposite Dr. Ballingall’s house, the horse got its hind foot over the shaft, and the driver was thrown with great force, and must have been dragged some distance along the ground, judging from the fact that the heel of his boot was torn off. The horse broke free from the harness, and continued its career down Chapel Park-road.

It was unable to turn down St. John’s-road, and crashed into the iron palings which surround the basement area of 16, St. John’s-road. So great was the force of the collision that the palings were wrenched clean out, and the animal crashed into the area, smashing several flower-pots, which stood on the window ledge, and breaking the window.

It lay bleeding upon broken glass and the remains of flower-pots, and breathing hard. Edwards had suffered serious injury. His left leg was grazed and the knee dislocated, whilst one side of his face was bruised and bleeding. He was dazed, but, on the whole had a fortunate escape.

Dr. Ballingal was quickly in attendance, and bandaged the wounded man. He was conveyed away from the scene of the accident on a stretcher, in a four-wheeler. Meanwhile some men from Skinner’s stables had arrived on the scene.

The horse continually lashed out, but a man held its head down, and eventually it struggled to its feet. Its left side was found to be much cut; it was not, however, very seriously injured otherwise. Eventually it struggled out of the area without further mishap. The dog-cart was considerably knocked about.