ACCIDENTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 19 September 1930, Page 14

ACCIDENTS.

CROSSING MISHAP

A motor-car driven by Mr A. C. Smart, of Mount Pleasant, was wrecked yosterday at about 10.30 a.m. at the Colombo street railway crossing, when it was struck by a train engaged in shunting operations. Mr Smart and his wife, who was with him in the front seat, escaped without injury. Mr Smart was driving along Colomlfo street toward the City and applied the brakes as soon as he saw the warning signal displayed by the crossing-keeper. The brakes did not act promptly and the car stopped when on the rails. The driver attempted to re-start tho car, but the engine stalled. The train, which comprised an engine and a rake of trucks, was travelling slowly toward the Christchurch station, but before it struck the car, Mrs Smart, assisted by the crossing-keeper, was able to jump clear. Mr Smart, however, was carried along with the car, which was pushed across the roadway, and forced against the post supporting a hand-rail, and although this was torn up and the car badly buckled the driver escaped injury. The car had the front axle and springs broken, a front wheel wrenched off, and the others twisted, and mudguards and running board badly crumpled. MOTOR MISHAPS. WELLINGTON ENQUIRIES. .'rEE3S ASSOCIATION TZi,IG?.A.M.) WELLINGTON, Seplomber IS. '•lt is not necessary for the Court to express an opinion as to the conduct of the driver," said the Coroner, Mr J. S. Barton, to-day, at tho inquest into the death of John Mclnnos, a wharf labourer, who died on September 7th, as a result of injuries received through being struck by a motor-car in Jervois Quay, on August 10th. SubInspector Lopdell paid that the driver of the car had not been found. After evidence had been heard, t-te Coroner returned a verdict that Mc[nties died from head injuries, including laceration of the brain, sustained by being knocked down by a motor-car in Jervois Quay., the driver of the car being unknown. Oar Mounts Footpath. At the inquest into the death ol Henry Jones, a slaughterman, aged 57, Mr Barton returned a verdict that he died on September 10th of delirium tremens, following injury and shock culminating in heart failure, sustained on September 2nd, when he was knocked against a shop window by a car, then in control of the owner, Victor -Brownaon. The Coroner said that there was a conflict of evidence aB to how BrownFon was controlling the car at the time of the accident. The accident occurred at the corner of Ghuwiee and Cuba streets. According to the evidence at the inquest, the driver « the car swerved to avoid some pedestrians, the car mounting the footpath, crashing into a window and knocking Jones down. One witness, John Watts, gave evidence that there was a woman in the driver's seat of the car at the time of the accident, and that Brownson told her to "make haste and get out of it." Other witnesses, however, said thev bad seen no woman in the car. The Coroner said he accepted tao evidence of the witness Watts as true that there waa a woman in *»<» ca .f' and that when the witness reached tfte car immediately after the accident she was in the driver's seat, but promptly cot out and went away. All the contrary evidence of independent witnesses was merely negative. They did not see the second occupant. Sellable Evidence. "Watts' evidence is too detailed and circumstantial to be dismissed a 3 a mistake," said the Coroner "*»£»» my opinion it is corroborated strongly by the demeanour in the witness box of the witness. Otterson, who admits that on September 9th he told -«"» Dolice that he had «*«n a womaa sitting next to the driver, and thai she then got, out and hurried away, but statecftc-day that ha wished to contradict it."