ARMY OFFICER'S DEATH

An inquest upon Lieutenant John Alexander Lumley, 56, who died in hospital on September 4 after being injured at Paremata that morning, was begun by the Coroner (Mr. W. G. L. Mellish) yesterday afternoon and adjourned after three witnesses had been heard. The evidence of the driver of a United States Marine Corps truck and of another marine who was with him in the cab was that about 8 a.m. on September. 4 the truck was travelling south over the Paremata bridge at 10 to 15 miles an hour when Lieutenant Lumley started to walk across the bridge from the driver's left. The driver sounded the horn and swerved to the right and Lieutenant Lumley stopped, looked towards the truck, started <to go back to the kerb he had left, and then changed direction again and walked into the left-hand front fender of the truc_k, which by then had its right front wheel on the righthand footpath. Medical evidence was that Lieutenant Lumley died from extensive injuries to his head and chest. t