Man killed when unsafe trailer hit his oncoming car

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 7

Man killed when unsafe trailer hit his oncoming car

A trailer which broke free from a truck veered across the road into the path of an oncoming van, killing its driver, the Christchurch Coroner’s Court was told yesterday. The Coroner, Mr Neil Mac Lean, was hearing evidence about the accident in Buckleys Road on May 5 last year which resulted in the death of Joseph Stephen Sziefert, aged 28. Traffic Officer Jeffrey Barnfield said Mr Sziefert was driving a van west along Buckleys Road about 10 a.m.

"Raymond Arthur Young had been driving east along Buckleys Road in his Bedford truck which was towing a single-axled trailer loaded with wood.” The trailer came loose and collided with Mr Sziefert’s van. Traffic Officer Barnfield said Mr Young was interviewed and explained the trailer had started to bounce on the road corrugations. He began to stop but the trailer came free. The court heard that a Ministry of Transport automotive surveyor, Mr Philip Wells, checked the trailer and considered that its safety chain was worn and damaged before the accident. It would have been inadequate to hold the trailer when it became uncoupled. Mr Young was convicted in the District Court on an admitted charge of careless driving causing death and was fined $lOOO and disqualified from driving for 12 months, Mr Mac Lean was told.

A pathologist, Dr Patrick Kelleher, said he considered Mr Sziefert died from multiple injuries. Mr Mac Lean found that Mr Sziefert died in Buckleys Road on May 5 from injuries suffered when the trailer collided head-on with his van. RUAPUNA ACCIDENT

A motor-cyclist died at Christchurch Hospital from severe head injuries suffered while practising at Ruapuna Raceway in January, the Coroner found.

Constable Tony Bruce said David Roger Blackman, aged 31, was negotiating the Rothmans Bend about 3 p.m. on January 20 when his rear wheel lost traction. Mr Blackman tried to compensate for the slide but the rear wheel suddenly regained traction, jolting the motor-cycle upwards.

He was thrown from the machine, landing heavily on his head and upper body.

Constable Bruce said Mr John Fitzwater was practising on the track at the same time on an identical motor-cycle and had experienced power slide on the same corner. “Mr Fitzwater was following the deceased at the time of the accident and is of the opinion that because the deceased had recently obtained his motor-cycle, he was unfamiliar with its handling characteristics.” Dr Leonard Treadgold’s post mortem indicated severe head injuries caused Mr Blackman’s death. CAR HIT POLE A man, aged 62, whose car hit a power pole on Springs Road on September 5 last year, may have collapsed at the wheel before the accident, the Coroner was told. Evidence was given that Cyril Munro, aged 62, was driving south along Springs Road at about 45km/h when his car veered left across the kerbing and hit the pole. “My inquiries revealed no other factors that caused this accident and it is my opinion that the deceased collapsed while driving immediately prior to the accident,” said Traffic Officer John Hunt. Evidence was given of Dr John Pettit’s post mortem examination. Dr Pettit said he considered multiple injuries caused the death. Dr Pettit said the presence. of atherosclerosis and myocardial scarring raised the possibility of heart failure at the time of the accident. Mr Mac Lean found Mr Munro died from multiple injuries in Springs Road after his car left the road and hit a power pole. DROWNING A man died from' drowning after his car entered the Heathcote River early on September 2 last year, the Coroner found. Evidence was given that Patrick Viliami Williams, aged 35, had been to a, workingmen’s club the evening before his death. While driving home about 1 a.m. his car missed a sweeping curve along Richardson Terrace and entered the river. Mr Williams was still in the overturned car when it was recovered. Dr Pettit’s post mortem showed a blood-alcohol level of 223 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. He said he considered the cause of death was drowning. DOUBLE FATALITY Failure to give way to traffic led to a double fatality, a traffic officer told the court. Ormald George McMillan, aged 76, and his wife, Ruewi McMillan, aged 72, died in an accident at the intersection of State highway one and Kirk Road, Templeton, about 7.15 a.m. on January 14 this year. Traffic Officer Peter Ward said Mr McMillan was driving south on Kirk Road and went through a “Give Way” sign to collide with an east-bound car on State highway one. “It is my opinion that the accident was caused by Mr McMillan proceeding through the ‘Give Way’ controlled intersection without stopping for oncoming traffic.” Evidence was given of Dr Treadgold’s post mortem examinations. Dr Treadgold considered Mr McMillan died from multiple injuries and Mrs McMillan from a ruptured aorta. Mr Mac Lean, in finding the couple died at

Templeton from injuries sustained in the accident, said it was clear from the evidence that Mr McMillan had caused the collision. No blame could be attached to the other driver. BRIDGE CRASH A woman who left a party at Woodend about 3.40 a.m. on January 20 to drive to the West Coast died two hours later from injuries suffered in a car accident. Mr Mac Lean heard that the car driven by Gina Marie Arona, aged 21, collided head-on with a concrete bridge abutment at Broad Stream, near Cora Lynn, on State highway 73. “There were no skid marks to suggest the deceased braked prior to impact and it is strongly suspected that she may have gone to sleep while driving,” said Constable Bruce. He said the accident was discovered by another motorist about 5.40 a.m. and the police were called. Miss Arona died while efforts were being made to free her from the car. Resuscitation efforts were made. Evidence was given of Dr Pettit’s post-mortem examination which showed Miss Arona died from multiple traumatic injuries. Her blood-alcohol level was 38 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. Mr Mac Lean found Miss Arona died at Broad Stream on January 20 from injuries suffered when the car she was driving struck the bridge. SPEED BLAMED Excessive speed was considered the cause of an accident in which two persons died, Mr Mac Lean was told. Evidence was given about an accident just after midnight on January 29 on State highway one in which Charles Richard Hayes, aged 24, and his passenger, Simone Sarah Kay, died. Traffic Officer Stanley Jones, of Burnham, said the accident occurred 60m south of the Horo-rata-Dunsandel Road, at Dunsandel.

"Due to excessive speed the vehicle failed to make a moderate S-bend curve in the road and went off the sealed roadway to the left bfore skidding 144 m, hitting a concrete culvert and crossing to the other side of the road to collide with a power pole.

“The force of the impact ripped the car in half.”

Traffic Officer Jones said he interviewed two witnesses. Mr William McMurray saw the vehicle approaching at high speed and obviously out of control with tyres squealing. He saw it hit the pole.

The Court was told of post-mortem examinations by Dr Treadgold. Dr Treadgold was of the opinion the deaths resulted from multiple injuries.

Mr Mac Lean, in finding the pair died at Dunsandel from multiple injuries received in the accident, said it was clear excessive speed was a main cause.