ACCIDENTS AND FATALHIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2492, 19 June 1915, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALHIES

INQUEST INTO TRAM FATALITY. An inquest was held by Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, fci.M., yesterday into the death of Ellis Loftman, a married man, residing in Mitchelltown, who was killed through being knocked down by a tramcar in Upper- Willis Street on Wednesday. Sergeant Murphy appeared for tho police, ,and Mr. J. O'Snea for the City Corporation. Dr. Anderson, who was present at the scene of the accident shortly after it occurred, said Loftman was quitt> dead When he examined him. Matthew' Joseph . Whelin, tramway motorman. said he was approaching .the junction of Willis Street and- Abel Smith Street in Car 23 at about 5 40 p.m. on Wednesday. The car was travelling between 8 and 10 miles an hour. Witness saw deceased there as he was just leaving the footpath. Loftman ran across the road, and witness immediately applied the • emergency, brake, sounded the gong,' and sang out to him. The" man, wlio had his nead down,, struck the front portion of the oar, , which , was then travelling at about three miles an- hour, and fell straight back. To Mr. O'Shea: Immediately witness saw Loftman he applied the emergencybrake, whiob acted effectively on the car. There was' hardly any traffic about the street at the time. John Scott, conductor on Car 23, gave corroborative evidence. Carl Larsen, chief officer of the Wakatu. said be knew deceased, and met him on the Wednesday evening just before the aooident occurred. They were walking up Willis Street when Loftman said: "Here comes an <Aro Street car!" and ran to 'catch it. Next thing witness heard was the orash as deceased oollided with the Brooklyn car. Witness thought the motorman did everything in his power to avert an accident. Leonard Ohas. Kraft, clerk, said he witnessed the accident. He saw Loftman run from the footpath. Apparently, he ran for the Aro Street uar, and failed to notice the Brooklyn car. He heard the motorman's bell sound when the car .was a. few feet oil the man. , % , Tho Coroner returned a verdict that deceased met his death as the result of injuries received through being accidentally knocked down by a tramcar. No, blame was attachable to anyone, while the motorman of the car had don® everything possible to avert tho accident. KNOCKED DOWN BY A TRAM. A young man who attempted to cross in front of 'a tramcar near the Bank of New Zealand shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday was knocked down by the ,car. He was injured about the face and head, and after being removed to Barrett's Hotel and. receiving attention, he was taken to his home.