THE RICCARTON FATALITY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15268, 3 May 1915, Page 5

THE RICCARTON FATALITY.

INQUEST OX ROBERT BAR-TON

An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon before the Coroner, Mr - H. "W. Bishop, into the circumstances of the death of Robert Barton, of Coach Corner, Riccarton, who diet!.as the result of a collision -with a van while he was driving homeward on Friday evening. Deceased was driving the mare, Galindo Lou. when she bolted.

Leonard Barton, a brother of the deceased, eaid that his brother was 39 years of age, and was a widower. He often drove iuto town in his S'g- The horse on thi, s occasion was the pacing mare Galindo Lou.

Georgo Stockdale, milkman, Stanunoro road, >aid he saw deceased just before 8 o'clock on !• riday evening on Ritcarton road. lie was driving towards liiccarton, and was passing a tram going in the eaiuo direction. He was driving probably at the rate of twenty miles an hour. Just as deceased was passing the car he overtook a cyclist going in the same direction, and he appeared, to avoid a collision, to turn on to the tram track in front of the car. Deceased continued to dash ahead and went right into-an express driven by Hunter, who was coming towards town. Apparently seeing his danger, deceased tried to drive between the water channel and the near side of the express. In consequence deceased's near side wheel caught the near side wheel of the express. The frg was overturned and deceased wag thrown on to the road. Uoon seeing the approach of the gig, the driver of the express, which was going about four miles an hour, immediately pulled up, and witness took the near sida lamp to give attention to deceased. The latter was lying unconscious on the tram-track, and was P"t into a motor-car and taken to the hospital, still unconscious. To the best of witness's knowledge deceased had no lights, and he did not apnea r to have control of the horse, which, ho had every reason to believe, was running away. If he had had control of the horse, deceased could have turned down Harakckc street. The horse was galloning. In witness's opinion no blame whatever was attachable to the express. John Hunter, express driver, said he was coming up Ricearton rond, and was going to *urn into Ilarakeke street. He was going very slowly, when he noticed the -trap coming at a tremendous epeed, but on the proper side. All at once the driver turned across the road and came straight for the express. "Witness immediately stopped his horse, and watched deceased to £oe what he was going to do. Deceased was in a driver's attitude.. but witness could not tell whether he was holding the horse or driving it. Witness's vehicle was struck on the rear side and considerably damaged. Deceased was picked tip about thirty or forty feet from where the gig lay after the accident. Ernest Archer, farrier, said deceased left his place in St. Asaph street at 7.30 p.m., and was then quite eober. Tho mare, a little while had an accident through a motor-car, and since then she had been nervous on meeting motor-cars. In his opinion the horse must have bolted. The Coroner said the case was clear. He would record a . verdict that deceased was accidentally killed through a gig -which he was driving colliding with an express.