Youth Died After Being Burned

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30399, 25 March 1964, Page 3

Youth Died After Being Burned

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 24. Attempts to put out a youth’s blazing clothing were described by witnesses at an inquest into the death of Warren David Carmichael, aged 18, a workman, before the Auckland Coroner (Mr K. A. Snedden) today.

The Coroner found that Carmichael died at Auckland Hospital on December 28, from infection and toxaemia after extensive burns sustained when he was repairing a motor-car and petrol blew back on to his clothes and ignited. Sergeant J. H. Paterson, of Takapuna, appeared for the police. Cecil Robert Soden, of Main road. Little Manly, Whangaraparoa, said Carmichael called at his home about 3 p.m. on November 17. Later he saw Carmichael and some other youths looking under the bonnet of a car outside. “Carmichael then walked round to the back of the car and after blowing through the petrol tank he walked along the left-hand side toward where 1 was standing,” said

witness. “While he was walking towards me I could see him wringing out the front of his clothes and I realised that as a result of blowing into

the petrol tank he had received a blowback and had got petrol over his clothes. “I had straightened up from looking at the motor of the

car and had lit a cigarette with a match.” Witness said he was sure the match was out when he threw it to the ground. “As I bent to look into the engine of the car again, I heard a hissing sound and looked up to see Carmichael’s clothing was a mass of flames from the waist up. He was spinning around and trying to brush out the flames. “I grabbed him and pushed him to the ground.” When the flames were extinguished, witness ran to call a doctor. He agreed with a suggestion by the Coroner that it was foolish to light a match when there was petrol about. Allan Frederick Harrison, of Onehunga, said he and Soden had great difficulty in controlling Carmichael when they were trying to put out the flames.

“Soden and I managed to get some of his clothes off, but some were burned off by the flames. We rolled him in the grass and put out the fire.

“Just before the explosion, 1 think I saw Soden with a cigarette. He either had it in his hand or was busy lighting it,” he said.