INQUEST AT ASHBURTON

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25090, 23 January 1947, Page 3

INQUEST AT ASHBURTON

COLLEGE STUDENT’S DEATH A verdict that death was caused by a broken neck as a result of a motor-cycle, ridden bv him, colliding with a motorcar driven by Mrs Margaret Kennedy, at the corner of Wilson’s and School roads. Wakanui, was returned by the Coroner (Mr E. C Bathurst) at an inquest into the death of Arthur Lloyd Taylor, held at the Ashburton Police Station riav Tavlor aged 23, who was a student at University College, was.the son of Mr and Mrs T. S. Taylor, of WakanLln a statement. Mrs Kennedy said that on Saturday, December 28. she was returning to Ashburton along Wilson s road, Wakanui. driving her car, and accompanied by her mother, Mrs Margaret Linton Logan Ross, who was seated beside her in the front seat. When right in the middle of the intersection of Wilson s and School roads, the glass from the doors on the left-hand side of the car scattered all over the inside of the car. She did not know what had struck her car. As she had approached the corner she had not seen any sign of traffic approaching from either the right or the left Approaching the corner, she was travelling at a speed of between 35 and 40 miles an h °Constable R. J. McElhinney (Ashburton) said that he had examined the motor-car, and found that the point of impact was on the left-hand front door. The motorcycle was badly damaged. The speedometer was broken, and the speed indicating hand showed 45 miles an hour. That indicated that Taylor, at the time of the accident, was travelling at. that speed or a greater one, as there was a tendency for the indicating hand to fall back at the time of impact. There was a skid mark of 16 feet on the roadway. There were no obstructions to the view in any direction at that corner. Senior-Sergeant G. A. Doggett conducted the proceedings. Miss Dorothy Margaret Copland, who was riding on the pillion behind Taylor, and Mrs Ross were both admitted to the Ashburton Public Hospital in a serious condition after the accident, but have since improved.