FATAL ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 192, 9 May 1924, Page 8

FATAL ACCIDENT

MAN KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR NO EVIDENCE OF NEGLIGENCE A motor-car accident near the Government Buildings late on Friday night last was described to the Coroner (Mr. E. Page, S.M.) at the inquest he conducted , yesterday into the circuits 1 anceg surrounding the death of an elderly num, Edwin Goodwin, a bootmaker, in business in Molesworth Street.

Mr. J. M. Dale, who represented the relatives, said that they had felt somewhat keenly the fact that the body of deceased had been buried before identification was established.

Senior-Sergeant Lander said that every effort had been made to identify deu ceased. Evidence was given by Dr. Nash that deceased was admitted to the hospital Buffering from a fractured leg. Death was due to shock resulting from the injuries sustained. Sergeant Sivyer, who had been, called) to the scene of the accident, said that the night was wet and misty , and the visibility poor. Although inquiries had been made, no witnesses of the accident could be found.

Herbert Appleyard, the driver of the car, said, he was the manager for the Petone and Hutt Gas Lighting Board. At about 9.20 p.m. on Friday he was returning from the city to Petone, and! as he approached Bowen Street he noticed a northward-bound tramcar draw up at the Bowen Street stop. He was a few yards behind and pulled his car up almost to a standstill. After the tram had passed the points at Molesworth Street, witness was near tho corner of Bowen Street, and when a few more yards had. been covered witness heard his son call; “Look out!’’ "I must have caught sight of the figure of a, man at the same time as my son,” said, witness. “The man wa s directly on the left front of the car and I scarcely saw him. There was no time to slow up before making tho contact with him.Immediately I caught sight of the man. I pressed by foot on the brake and also pulled my hand-lover brake. The car was pulled up within its own length. We got out straight away and found tha man lying l on his back, but no portion of the car was on him or touching him. He appeared to be unconscious and we carried him to a seat directly, opposite. No one appeared to be about just then, but a minute or so later two young men came along and as I was supporting the man on the seat I requested them to ring for the ambulance.” Mr. R. S. Kirk, who appeared for tha driver, suggested that deceased had kept his head down in order to obtain shelter from the wind, and consequently did not see the car or hear its approach. The Coroner remarked that there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the driver. He seemed to have been on the proper side, his lights were burning brightly, and he had been driving quite slowly. When the accident occurred, he pulled up at once. The night, continued the Coroner, was bad. for visibility, and the nearby illuminations may have increased the windscreen difficulties. Deceased appeared to havfe stepped across the path, and the roughness of the night may have caused him to put his head down, as suggested by counsel. His Worship, found that deceased died from injuries received through being accidentally knocked down by a motor-car drven by Herbert Appleyard.