COLLISION WITH TRAM

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17938, 5 December 1923, Page 6

COLLISION WITH TRAM

MOTOR-CYCLIST'S DEATH. An inquest into the death of George Bernard Coiulell Barnden. a youth, years of ape. who resided with his parents at 369 Hereford street. JU ul who died as a result of colliding with a moving tramear on November 24th. wad held before -Mr Wyvern Wilson, District Coroner, yesterday.Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for Vhe relatives of the deceased. Mr W. ,T. Hunter for the motormr.n, and Mr fi. J. Upham for' the Tramway Board.

Jack Lingard, of "Wilson's road, ! Op awn, said that 011 the day of the accident he was riding a motor-cycle in company with the deceased, "ihey left deceased's home in the-evening at about 8.15 o'clock to no to New Brighton. via Stanmore road. "When they were 011 the bridge and entering New Brighton witness was travelling at about 15 to 18 miles per hour and deceased was 12 yr.rds ahead of him on the left hand side travelling at about the same rate of'speed. There was no traffic except a tram and' a carrier's wam . Deceased was riding 'in a direction behind the stationary waggon and he swerved out to pass it and he struck the oncoming tram. He saw the deceased thrown and hit the tramcar's headlight. To Mr Hunter: Deceased. ha,d not a certificate ef ability but ,he had ridden the cycle and others before. Charles O'Donnell, tram driver, said he was driving the tramear into which deceased ran. He saw Barndcn about a second before the accident. lie. was then about two or three yards away. The car was travelling at about 10 miles per hour. To Mr Hunter: When he first got a glimpse of deceased he appeared to be in a racing attitude. .There was room for him to have passed "between the car and the waggon. He pulled up within a car length—4l feet. Alfred Wicks, a licensed carrier, saiu that his lorry wo.s standing on the roadside. He was sitting in- the cab of it facing the oncoming tram, which travelled fully a chain and a half after the collision occurred. The road was clear on either side. Deceased was travelling at r.bout 20 miles per hour'.' The Coroner said it was perfectly evident that the deceased should have' seen the tram coming as it was a welllighted object. It appeared that' he had cleared the vehicle at the side of the road and had not seen the tram, therefore he could not-have been keeping a good look-out. He found that deceased died of shock arising from injuries received from colliding with' a tramear driven bv Charles O'Donnell.