Van turned in front of bus

Press, 16 September 1987, Page 6

Van turned in front of bus

A Rangiora bus driver who was driving a Christchurch Transport Board bus from the Square to Kaiapoi was comming up to the intersection of Main North Road and Radcliffe Road when a mini-van had turned in front of him, Mr Michael Taite Stokes, the bus driver, told the Christchurch Coroner’s Court yesterday. Cecil John Palmer, aged 73, died of multiple traumatic injuries when his mini-van was in collision with the bus on August 3, the Coroner found. A constable who went

to the accident told the Court the deceased had suffered extensive leg and head injuries as a result of the collision, but may have died from a heart attack before the collision. -i

The constable said that just before the accident Mr Palmer was seen leaning to his left over the steering wheel of the van.

He said the man appeared to be either suffering from or had just suffered a heart attack. He said no blame could be attributed to the driver of the bus.