KNOCKED DOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 12

KNOCKED DOWN.

WOMAN WAS KILLED.

MRS. €. C. RIDDIFORD.

VERDICT OF THE CORONER.

(By Telegraph.—rress Association.)

WELLINGTON, Friday,

A# inquest into the death of the late Mrs. Eleanor Caroline Riddiford, aged 74, widow of the late Mr. E. J. Riddiford, was held to-day at Lower Hutt. The district coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson. returned a verdict that death was due to injuries received through being knocked down in Woburn Road by a motor van driven by Robert Richmond Southorn. Mr. E. F. Rothwell represented Southorn. Dr. W. J. Hutchison said that Mrs. Riddiford suffered a fractured skull and died without regaining consciousness. The Coroner: Was her hearing or sight impaired? Witness: Not at all. Ellen Margaret Bunny said that prior to the accident she met her aunt, Mrs. Riddiford, who was leaving witness' parents' home to cross Woburn Road to her own home opposite. Van Driver's Evidence. Southorn said he was driving his van west along Woburn Road at 5.40 p.m. at 28 miles an hour. Approaching St. Albans Avenue intersection, he dipped

his lights because pf an approaching car, and. passing it, put them on full again. When 30ft past the intersection he saw Mrs. Riddiford just over the crown of the road on liis correct side. She appeared to be hesitating and then made a sudden move toward the kerb on his left. At the same time there was a car fairly close to him approaching from behind. He applied his brakes and swerved suddenly to his right to avoid colliding with Mrs. Riddiford. He thought he had cleared her, but because he heard a slight sound when passing her he stopped. Returning, he found Mrs. Riddiford lying on the roadway. Witness said there was a fine rain falling and the lighting in the locality was very poor. He considered the cause of the accident was Mrs. Riddiford's hesitation and her making a sudden movement which gave him no opportunity of avoiding her entirely. To Mr. Rothwell, Southorn said Mrs. Riddiford was wearing black clothes, which did not show up at all on the dark, wet road. She appeared to have her head down. Lights in Good Order. Constable W. H. Smith said the point of impact fixed by Southorn was 13ft from the south kerb and 36ft from a street light at the intersection of St. Albans Avenue. The road was wet and visibility bad because of the drizzling rain. He could find no trace of skid marks. The van lights were in good order. Mrs. Riddiford appeared to have been struck by the point of the lefthand front mudguard and left-hand side of the front bumper. Stanley Grant Wills, milk roundsman, said he was driving loyds behind Southorn at 25 miles an hour. There was drizzling rain and bad visibility. The locality was poorly lit. This fact, together with the rain, was, in his opinion, one of the main causes of the accident.