CORONER’S COURT Father, Daughter Killed At Railway Crossing

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 4

CORONER’S COURT Father, Daughter Killed At Railway Crossing

The Railways Department was constantly searching for ways to make crossings safer, and warning lights and bells were to be installed at the Kainga crossing, said Mr N. R. Morgan, who appeared for the department at an inquest in the Coroner’s Court yesterday into the deaths of a father and daughter at the crossing.

The Coroner (Mr A. T. Bell) found that Douglas Norman Mclntosh, aged 39, and Pamela Marie Mclntosh, aged 12, died on May 27, the cause of death being shock, hemorrhage, and multiple r severe injuries suffered when | the car in which they were; travelling was struck by a I rail-car. Marie Eleanor Mallocb. married, whose evidence had alre'dy been given, said in b deposition that at 6.30 p.m. she was in a car being driven west along Kainga road. About 40ft from the crossing she noticed a rail--car approaching from the • right. It was about 50ft from the crossing, and the head-' light was on. Her husband stopped the car about 30ft from the crossing. She noticed the headlights of a car on the other side of the crossing. A long blast was sounded on the rail-car’s horn, and immediately there was a crash and a blur of lights. Maxwell John Malloch, a timber worker, whose evidence had also been taken earlier, said that the rail-car was travelling 35 to 40 miles an hour. He thought the approaching car was going, too fast to stop at the crossing. He estimated its speed as about 25 to 30 miles an hour, but it was only a guess, as. the car was travelling towards him. Raymond Clarence Bullen, the driver of the rail-car, said he sounded the horn after leaving the Waimakariri river bridge. He saw a car travelling at speed towards the crossing and sounded the horn again. To the Coroner the witness •aid it was not the best crossing in the country, as a driver’s view was partly obstructed by the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s buildings. Constable N. A. Galbraith said that the crossing was not a good one. as there was a substantial rise on to the tracks which affected visibility STRUCK BY CAR The Coroner found that Henrietta Homiblow, aged 81, died in the Christchurch Hospital on June 18, the cause of death being shock, hemorrhage, and multiple injuries and fractures suffered when she was struck by a car. Albert Eden Robson, an electrician, said that at 3.10 p.m. on June 18 he was driving north in Papanui road when he struck a woman who appeared to be hurrying across the road near the St. Albans slipping centre. His view was obstructed by four cars parked outside the entrance of Sunshine Lodge. The matron of Sunshine Lodge, Gladys Mathilda James, said that Mrs Horniblow was not allowed outside the gates on her own because she was deaf and subject to black-outs.

DRIVER’S DEATH Zamoni Clarence George Sullivan, aged 52, was found to have died on June 30, at the Christchurch Hospital, the cause of death being bronchopneumonia and hemorrhage associated with fractures of the right ribs and pelvis, suffered when his car and another vehicle collided at the corner of the Christchurch-1

Akaroa main highway and the old Lincoln-Tai Tapu road.

Campbell Alexander Spurr, a farmhand, said he was driving through Tai Tapu when a car came out of a side road into the middle of the highway. He struck the driver's door. Constable P. P. Brady said that Sullivan told him he had not seen the give-way sign. He had thought he had time to make the turn, but his car stalled. POISONED. Walter Leonard Summerton, aged 72, was found to 'have died on July 21 at 35 iSherbourne street, the cause of death being poisoning. Constable M. E* Godding said that at 2.5 p.m. on July 22 the police were told that a man was dead in a bach at the rear of a house in Sherbourne street. The man was lying face down on the bed. Because of the disorder in ■the bach detectives investi- ; gated, but no reason was found to suspect foul play. iTwo taps on the oven were turned on. The meter was the coin-in-the-siot type. Summerton was a very quiet man who lived by himself, went out very rarely, and had no friends.

Charles Henry Smith, aged 86, was found to have died on July 2 at 16 Stratford street, the cause of death being poisoning. . Walter Foster Purdon, a driver, said that at 11.20 a.m. on July 23 he was delivering groceries to Smith’s home when he noticed a strong smell of gas. He found a jet in the oven was turned on, and Smith was ■ dead in a chair. DROWNED ; Valmai Olwyn White, aged 39, was found to have died at the Groynes, Belfast, on June 7, the cause of death being asphyxia from drowning. DIED AT HOSPITAL Roy Stanley Gilbert, aged 65, was found to have died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on June 30, the cause of death being toxemia from an abscess after an operation. EVIDENCE TAKEN Evidence was taken from two witnesses on behalf of the Invercargill Coroner, and inquests into the deaths of Percival Ainslie Lundy and Quane Mary Herriott Houston were then adjourned sine die. Clarence Henry Houston, a farmer, of Templeton, said he was a passenger in a oar driven by Lundy on the Te Anau-Mossburn highway on June 12. The car was crossing a one-way bridge and slowed to 20 miles an hour. It was half-way across when a truck approached from the opposite direction. It seemed to be going to stop and then came on to the bridge. It seemed as if its brakes had failed. The ear had stopped when there was a severe impact. The front of the truck came to rest on the bonnet of the car. He was knocked unconscious. His wife was in the rear of the car, Houston said. Evidence was also given by Lillian May Lundy, a widow."