THE CAR AND THE QUAY

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1179, 14 July 1911, Page 8

THE CAR AND THE QUAY

INQUEST ENDED. ONE'S DITIES ON Till" ROAD. The adjournc'i ini|iiiry into the molor-i.-.ir fatality on Lambtim Quay, in which Frederic]; Hunt wa- knocked down by Dr. Ewnri's motor-car, and died as ;i result uf ino injuries received, was resumed at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoaii before Mr. W. G. Riddel!, S.M. .Mr. E. K. Kirkcaldie appeared on hehalf of the relatives of the decided. Mr. T. A ouug on In-half of Dr. Kwart, owner of the tnol'.ir-car, and Air. Salek (for Mr lirere) on bnh:ilf of the driver of 'the car (A. n. Barnard). Sub-in-pot-tor Siiei-lian represented the police. The ease, had U-en adjourned from Tuesday la-t to enable, the police to discover any other persons than tl.o-e already called, who had witnessed the accident. On resuming the pjlice intimated that there was only one further witness. Harry Wittington, an employee- in the Government Printing Office, stated that, at about 5.30*0u the evening of the fatality, ho was walking along Lambton Quay, and, when passing Evans's saddler's shop, he saw deceased crossing the road. A motor-car was coming along Iho road, and he saw it collide with the man. The man was crossing from the Hotel Arcadia towards, the National Hotel; ths car was proceeding north. When the car struck deceased, he went down like a skittle, falling backwards. 'Previous to this, he heard the brakes of the car put on, and saw ! the car swerve in the direction of the deceased.' On running across the road he found the wheel of the car between the man's legs, and pressing on the right thigh. What rate of speed would you say that ihe car was travelling at?—" Somewhere from 8 to 10 miles." AVas tt dark?—" There was a very bad light. The ,-ky was overcast, and it was drizzling rain." To Mr. KirkcaMie: He could see nothing to obstruct the view from tho .motorcar to the deceased. Deceased appeared to fall through tho car striking him, and uot in trying to get out of the way of the car. To Mr. Young: Deceased was walking slowly. There was nothing to prevent him seeing the car except that the wind was blowing, and deceased may have inclined his head. To Mr. Ralek: AA'hen the brakes were applied, the car was a short distance off the deceased. The car was skidding when it struck. Hunt. In summing up his Worship said that ho considered that the. evidence showed rhnt the deceased harl met. his death acci■'denlnlly, and a .verdict was , returned accordingly. In reviewing Ihe evidence, his Worship said the whole of the facts Imd to be taken into consideration, and. whilst there was a duty.on the part of every motor-car driver to keep a good look' out, there was a duty on the part of every pedestrian to keep an equilly good look out. The evidence showed thaithere was not a great deal r.f traffic on the street at the time of the accident, but there was one tram passing. Factors that had to bo taken into consideration were the state of the night—the drizzling rain, the southerly wind, and the fact that both the driver and the deceased were apparently affected by the same set of conditions. " The driver did not see the deceased until be was very close to him and the deceased could not have =een the enr until it was practically upon him. One could only say that the accident was an unfortunate one, but that it was purely accidental. His Worship added that the motorron*, was driving at a reasonable vale of speed, and when he saw 'Hint a collision was inevitable he acted pr:>mntly, and did everything he could In avert il.