MURIWAI MOTOR CRASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 5 March 1926, Page 9

MURIWAI MOTOR CRASH.

YOUNG MAN'S TRAGIC DEATH.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. EVIDENCE OF THE PARTY. The tragic circumstances surrounding the death of R. W. McLennan, a single man, who was killed in a motor crash at Muriwai Beach on February 13, were investigated this afternoon by the Coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Deceased was a member of a party of five, the others being A. IT. Wells, A. J. Nutter, J. D. Walsh and A. S. Henry. In the course of the evidence it was stated that the car was travelling along the beach at a high rate of speed, when it swerved sharply and overturned. All the occupants were thrown out. McLennan died shortly after the accident, and Henry was taken to the hospital with an injured back. The remaining three members of the party escaped uninjured. Evidence Given. ■ John Cameron Ross, a confectioner, described the accident. He was walking along the beach and saw a big car making a complete turn on the beach. Another ear came up behind and tried to turn as the first one had done. He could see that the car was going to turn over; in fact, he started running before the car actually turned over. He estimated the speed of the car, which overturned at 45 to 50 miles per hour. He attended to McLennan, who died later. The driver of the car seemed to be quite sober. In the opinion of witness, the accident was caused by tbe driver trying to turn when going at such a speed. Witness did not see any car that the driver attempted to swerve to avoid. He had a clear view of the beach, and tbe driver of the car which overturned, had a clear run. Ho collected about three dozen bottles of beer and put them back in the car. The sand was hard and he saw no track or anything else that would cause the car to overturn. One of the party in the car, Aneury Stanley Henry, said that, as far as he could remember, they left town about 12.30 p,m. in a Chandler car driven by Wells. Before the races were over, he could not remember what time it was, they decided to leave for home. The car proceeded down the beach to the road at the entrance to the beach. Going along the beach, the car would be travelling about 20 miles per hour. Suddenly the car seemed to give a lurch and tipped over. He was thrown right out of the car. The next thing he remembered was being attended to on the beach. He was sitting in the back of the car with Butter and Walsh. Wells, yho wa3 driving, was perfectly sober. ' Witness received injuries to his back and would be in hospital for some time yet. He did not know what went wrong with the car, or what caused it to turn over. Athel Umfrey Wells, the driver of the car, said he was driving along the beach at a fairly fast speed. He thought that the car might perhaps get stuck, so he turned slightly to the right. The wheels twisted, he was unable to hold, the front wheels locked and the car capsized. He did not remember what happened after that, for eh was dazed. Ho had been driving a car for about ten years. To Sergeant Angland, representing tho police, witness said that he could not say what was, the actual cause of the capsize. He simply lost control of the car.