‘Matches probably led to deaths of two children’

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 7

‘Matches probably led to deaths of two children’

Two Northcote children who died in a shed fire on May 1 were probably playing with matches, the Cornorier's Court in Christchurch was told yesterday. The District Coroner (Mr N. G. Hattaway) found that Shaun Arthur David Russell Cleary, aged eight, and Catherine Marie Graham, aged six. died of severe bums. The fire was in a small garden shed at the back yard of the boy’s parents' home at 37 Lambeth Crescent. The girl lived across the road at 42 Lambeth Crescent. Detective John Patrick Whiting, of the Christchurch C. 1.8., investigated the fire. He told the Court that the outer casing of a match-box and a half-burnt match were discovered in the area beneath where the children's bodies were found. He said the discovery of the match-box tended to confirm the suspicion that the children were playing with matches in the shed. The shed was woodframed, with fibrolite-type material as panelling and a corrugated iron roof. One of the shed’s two front doors had been made unopenable and two rear windows' had been covered over before the fire. The bodies were found near one of the rear windows. The seat of the fire seemed to be in front of one of the door openings, which would explain w'hy the children did not escape, said Detective Whiting. He said that when the fire was discovered it would have been impossible to enter the shed because of the flames. Neil- Alexander Ross, a fire safety officer,- listed the burnable items in the shed as including carpet ends, carpet underfelt, .wallpaper, straw, cardboard cartons, a polyurethane cot mattress and an upholstered armchair. He considered that the fire was caused by one or both of the children playing with matches and accidentally igniting some of the highly combustible articles held in the shed. THROWN FROM CAR A Greenpark girl died of severe internal injuries suffered when she was thrown from a car after it struck a pole at Davidsons Road; Greepark, on March 6, the Coroner found. Lee-Anne Rose Smith, the deceased, aged 15, was a front seat passenger in a late-model car driven by Bruce Maurice Moore, aged 17. They had been at the Waihora Gun Club to watch friends shooting, and left about 11.30 p.m. Mr Moore said they were travelling on a long, straight road at about 80 km/h when they reached a corner whidh was sharper, than he expected. The car hit the grass, and although he tried to steer: away, it skidded into a lamp-post and was severed in two on impact. “When the car stopped, I looked around; the back of the car wasn’t there," said Mr Moore. He said he had only travelled the road once before in daylight and did not realise how sharp the bend was. . The deceased, who was wearing a seat-belt and was asleep at the time of the accident, was thrown from the car on impact. Constable Edward Francis Ward, from Lincoln, said there was a 2km stretch of straight road prior to the bend which was deceptive as the road narrowed. It was found that the bend could not be safely negotiated at 80km/h. BOY HIT BY CAR A young boy died of multi- _ pie injuries suffered when he I tried to run across Selwyn Street and was struck by a

passing vehicle, the Coroner found. Adam James Davey (also known as Knowles), aged six. died in the accident about 4.50 p.m. on February 17. The boy was seen by Allison Ruth Moore, an inde’pendent witness, to run out from behind a south-bound car directly into the path of a utility vehicle travelling north. The utility swerved in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid hitting the child. HEAD-ON COLLISION The Coroner found that Alan John Wiggins, aged 23. died of multiple injuries suffered in a . head-on collision on Ferry Road, near Hopkins Street, about 1 a.m. on January 21. Constable' Robert Henry Moore told the Court that Mr Wiggins was driving his car round a slight curve in the road when he moved on to the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with, an oncoming taxi. The taxi-driver suffered serious head injuries and could not remember the accident. Debra Vivienne May Campbell said in evidence that she had been drinking with Mr Wiggins and friends at the Marine Tavern, Sumner, and later at a Sumner house. They left to return home in separate cars, with Mr Wiggins travelling behind the witness. Mr Wiggins passed her on Ferry Road. She estimated he was travelling between 80km/h and 95km/h. She said she saw the brake lights on Mr Wiggins’ car •come on prior to the collision, and that his car was on the correct side of the road about 60 metres ahead. The deceased was found to have 161 milligrams of ethyl alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. GIRL KILLED Lisa Natasha Keller, aged 14, died of multiple injuries when the cycle she was riding collided with a fullyladen truck and trailer unit on Opawa Road, near Grange Street, just after 8 a.m. on March 26. the Coroner found. lan Francis Hancox, the driver of the truck, told the Court that he had slowed down because of road works on Opawa Road. He passed two cyclists, whom he considered had "ample” room between the side of the truck and the curb. He recalled looking in an exterior mirror and seeing the two cyclists beside the rear of the truck; then suddenly one of them disappeared. He stopped the truck and found the deceased under the centre wheels of the trailer. Nicola Gail Keller, aged 16, a sister of the deceased, was cycling near the deceased at the time. She said the speed of the truck did not seem exceedingly fast — no faster than any of the trucks that travel along Opawa Road. “I don’t think that the driver could be blamed for the accident,” she said in evidence. Constable Moore said the deceased had owned the 10speed cycle for about one week and had been riding it for only 5 two days, so was probably inexperienced. DRIVER ASLEEP? David Montague Crane, aged 23, died on April 24 of a ruptured aorta suffered when the car he was driving struck a . lamp-post on Grahams Road about 2.15 a.m., the Coroner found. Mr Crane’s car was observed by a cyclist to veer gradually towards the left side of the road before mounting the kerb and striking a lamp-post. The witness said he did not see the car’s brake lights come on, and that the driver made no attempt to swerve. Constable Maurice William Edward Smith said that the witness’ report suggested that the deceased might have fallen asleep while driving. HIT FROM BEHIND The Coroner found that an . elderly cyclist died of multiple injuries suffered when he was struck from behind by a car on Bromley Road.John Tennant, aged 72, was killed in the accident about 7.45 a.m. on February 11. Kenneth John Griffiths, the driver of the car, said he had

slowed down to no more than 20km/h because the sun was shining in his eyes. As his car entered a shadow cast by a tree, he caught a glimpse of a cyclist riding just to the left of the centre of his car. He swerved and braked hard but could not avoid the cyclist. Mr Griffiths said he thought the cyclist might have been riding close to the centre of the road to avoid heavy shingle. WIDOW KILLED An elderly New Brighton widow died in hospital of severe head injuries suffered when she collided with a truck on Pine Avenue, near Bridge Street, about. 11.30 a.m. on March 11, the Coroner found. 'Constable Robert. Henry Moore said that Gladys Ivy Chamberlain, aged 77, had reversed her car out of her property on to Pine Avenue without ensuring the way was clear. Her view of the truck with which she collided would have been obstructed by a parked van. She was not wearing a seat-belt and was thrown from her car on impact. CYCLIST KILLED Stephen Royce Brewer, aged 27, of 87 Breezes Road, was found to have' died of severe head injuries suffered when the cycle he was riding collided with a car on Cuffs Road. Wainoni, about 11 p.m. on March 13. The accident was witnessed by Constable Mervyn John Davis, who was on duty in a police patrol car travelling north on Cuffs Road. He said he saw a cyclist, who had no lights operating on his bicycle, turn into the path of an oncoming car. "The driver of the oncoming car had no hope of avoiding the accident," he said. The deceased was found to have 287 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The Coroner said it was unfortunate that the cyclist was intoxicated, and that alcohol had obviously impaired the deceased's judgment. DEAD ON ARRIVAL The Coroner found that Bernard Hugh .(Leatham, aged 72, died of acute heart failure due to gross atherosclerosis. The deceased was involved in a motor accident at the intersection of Marshes Road and Shands Road at 2.20 p.m. on February 22. Constable Maurice Edward Smith said that Mr Leatham had pulled away from a compulsory stop into the path of a car approaching from his right side. Inquiries revealed that the deceased had impaired vision in his right eye. Mr Leatham suffered minor injuries in the accident but was dead on arrival at Christchurch Hospital. HIT PARKED CAR Murray John. Breading, aged 22, died of multiple injuries suffered in a motor accident on Christmas Day, 1981, the Coroner found. The deceased was the sole occupant of a car which collided with a correctlyparked, unoccupied car. Witnesses gave evidence that they saw Mr Breading speeding on Halswell Road, and that in attempting to pass two cars he seemed to get into difficulty and hit the parked car. MULTIPLE INJURIES Michael Christopher Moore, aged 22, died of multiple injuries sustained when the motor-cycle, which he was riding, struck a power pole, the Coroner found. He was taken to hospital after the accident on Ham Road, 40 metres south-west of Aorangi Place about 11 p.m. on March 18, and he died soon after. HIGH TRIAZOLAM Stanley Conway, aged 72, died on February 25 of pulmonary congestion associated with coronary artery disease and a high level of blood triazolam, the Coroner found. SUICIDES The Coroner found that the following people committed suicide: Guy Alexander Mowatt, aged 24; Evelyn Jean Harris, aged 42; and Margarett Ochiltree Collins, aged 55.