ARMY LORRY ACCIDENT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22590, 21 December 1938, Page 7

ARMY LORRY ACCIDENT

DEATH OF FOUR MEN NEAR TAIHAPE

WITNESSES' ACCOUNT OF TRAGEDY

CORONER'S VERDICT AT INQUEST

(PBtSS iSSOCIiTIOM TXLEGSJLM.) TAIHAPE, December 20. The inquest into the victims of the Eihitahi bridge tragedy—B. W. Coliwill, W. D. Davidson, L. J. Bourke, and M. T. Moore —which occurred at midnight on November 19, when an army Jorry returning to Waiouru, with 15 artillerymen, crashed into the river when crossing the bridge spanning the JEiautapa stream, was resumed before the Coroner (Mr E. Loader), at Taibape to-day. As well as the four men tyho lost their lives seven were injured in the accident. Dr. N. A. Foden, of the Crown Law [Office, Wellington, appeared for the police., and associated with him were [lnspector J. Lander (Wanganui) and Sergeant J. M. Mcßae (Taihape). Mr K. C. Ongley appeared for A. T. Hobeon, the driver of the lorry. Dr. H. M. May, of Taihape, said that Colwill and Bourke died from drowning. Colwill had slight lacerated younds about the head. Davidson was pinned under the lorry, and death was due to a crushed thorax. Moore had Severe lacerations on the left side of the skull, and hemorrhage. He was unconscious and remained so till his Jdeath, 24 hours later. Death was due io a fracture at the base of the skull. Alan Thomas Hobson, the driver of Ithe lorry, residing at Narrowneck, {Auckland, said he had been driving for Bix months. He arrived at Taihape at 4.15 p.m. The lorry was easy to drive. flThis was the first time he had driven St, but he had driven the same make of lorry. Lance-Bombardier Autridge •was in charge of the party. Hobson fcaid he had no drinks in Taihape on the day of the accident. He had been feiven instructions not to drink. He left Taihape at 11.15 to return. Autridge lend Auty were in front with him. Light a-ain was falling. When he left Taihape visibility was not difficult. The •other troops were at the back of the lorry, and there was nothing to interfere with his driving or control. He reached the point of the road leading to the bridge without mishap. lAs soon as he saw the bridge he (changed gear and reduced his speed. 3He had his foot on the brake and approached the bridge at 15 miles an hour. He was not surprised to see the bridge. There was nothing wrong with the bridge in the way of obstruction. •He got on to the bridge squarely. As far as he was aware the lorry did not touch the bridge, which seemed to collapse all round as he got on to it. The next thing he knew he was in the river. There was no sound or impact. He did not feel the wheels come into contact with the side of the bridge. He had received no specific instructions regarding speed. The standing regulations said 20 miles an hour. Nobody distracted his attention approaching the bridge. Nothing was wrong with his vision. To Dr. Foden he said he did hot feel the wheels of the lorry leave the metal part of the road. L. J. Auty said in evidence that he was sitting in the front of the lorry Bt the time of the accident. He considered Gunner Hobson a good driver, who approached corners with caution. The lorry was holding the road well. The lorry entered the bridge squarely. He was wide awake. He did not feel the right side of the lorry touch the side of the bridge. "We entered the bridge on the usual track," he said. "The bridge seemed to give way when the whole lorry got on to it. It was raining slightly when we approached the bridge. This did not impair visibility." He could say definitely the lorry did not touch the bridge. He yould have been aware of the fact. John McDonald, Rangitikei County overseer, said he thought from the tyre marks that the lorry had come in contact with the bridge. ■ If the end strut was broken the bridge would xollapse. Lance-Bomb2rdier Autridge said he was in charge of the party. Some 'members of the party had some drinks. iHe had a few. They were not prohibited from drinking. He felt quite at ease with Hobson driving. One man missed the lorry. Witness sat in *he front seat of the lorry. There Was very little talking. Visibility was iquite good. The lorry seemed to be '©n the metal approaching the bridge. Hobson changed gear approaching the "bridge. He did not feel any impact Jbefore the lorry went into the stream. *His recollection of what happened ceased before the whole vehicle got <on the bridge. The full length of the •bridge was lit up by the lights. He was certain that he felt no decided impact before he found himself in the river.

t To Mr Ongley he said he saw marks en the bridge and the approach. .He ["was not prepared to say they were Sorry marks. Witness said he was certain Hobson had no drink on the day of the accident. Samuel Freeman, a carrier, of Katioi, said he arrived at the scene of the accident about midnight. He noticed as he approached the bridge that it had collapsed. He saw the lorry in the river. He saw the impressions of round-grip tyre marks on the side of the road off the metal. These marks corresponded with the tyres on the lorry. The marks were just barely off, possibly only a-foot. He noticed there was a dual mark off the metal. He deduced from the marks that it was impossible for the lorry to get on the bridge without striking it. His observations were made soon after the accident, and led him to believe that some part of the lorry struck the end strut. Two men were in the cab of the lorry ■when he arrived. They seemed to be dazed by shock. Wallace Sturgeon, a carrier and contractor living at Hihitahi, near the bridge,, said he arrived soon after the tragedy. On the same day as the accident he took a heavy load of about 6i tons over the bridge about 5.30 p.m. He did not hear the bridge break. He thought the bridge sound in every ■ sense of the word.

To the Coroner: Sometimes I go over the bridge three or four times a day. There was no sign of a knock °n the truss.

Sturgeon said he saw the damaged rail on the bridge. It was an easy w ge *° ne gotiate at low speed. Norman Lyth, a civil engineer in the Public Works Department, of WaJganui, said he visited the scene of the accident at 7 a.m. on Sunday, November 20. He could ?nd nothing in the wreckage to indicate a flaw in the bridge. The »jain strut right hand side was i S ing " A P iece of the end strut was «sed on a fire lit at the scene of the «? C u nt " The Drid § e in question was : ae: home-truss type, which stood up jothe job well. There were many simi\w-£ dges in New Zealand. wrtness arama \ vcvspecuon of the bridge took place in March yus year. No defects were noticeable. a further examination was made two months ago. There was nothing to indicate that the bridge would collapse wnen a lorry went on. It was a possibly that if the end strut were woken, the whole bridge would col-