ROAD FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 143, 13 March 1931, Page 10

ROAD FATALITY

Inquest on Pedestrian STRUCK FROM BEHIND The death of James Nesbit Mouat, aged 64, plumber, in the Wellington Hospital on February 23 after being knocked down and injured by a motor-car driven by Philip Lyulph Darke between Johnsonville and Porirua on February 4, was the subject of an inquest opened before Mr. I. Salek, coroner, yesterday and adjourned until Monday. Mr. O. O. Mazengarb appeared for the driver and Mr. Perry for the relatives of deceased. William Taylor, dairy farnier, of John-, sonville, said that he was working on his farm along the main road near Glenside at 11.30 a.m. on February 4. He first saw Mouat pass and then noticed Darke’s car, which .was travelling in the same direction at a speed of not less than 40 miles an hour. It swerved close to the driver’s left-hand side and toward the centre of the road. Witness did not see Mouat then, but heard a noise as if the car had struck something. He proceeded to the scene. Mouat appeared to be badly injured. The car turned back. Mouat was attended by some Red Cross officers and removed to hospital. Skidded at Bend. The car just before the accident appeared to be going too fast to take the bend and skidded. When Mouat passed witness he was walking on the metal close to his left-hand side of the road, and continued in that way until the car struck him. Alfred Charles Unsworth, of Kilbirnie, said he was riding a motor-cycle on the road just before the accident. A motorcar passed him travelling at 40 -or 45 miles an hour. Witness did not see the collision. The driver of the car was sober when witness saw him at the scene of the accident. Clifford James Condron. motor-driver, of Wellington, deposed that he passed Mouat near Glenside. Mouat was walking on the left-hand side of the road on the edge of the bitumen. Witness travelled on and,’ ou the second bend, passed a car being driven on the wrong side of the road. It was travelling at a high rate of speed in the same direction as Mouat was walking. The car swerved to its correct side to pass witness, and he then heard a crash. Evidence of Passenger. Evidence was given by Montague Munroe Robertson, motor-driver, who was a passenger in Darke’s car. After the car passed the lorry witness saw Mouat, who was walking on the left-hand side, four or five feet from the edge of the bitumen. He was then 30 or 40 feet away from the car. When Darke had swerved sharply to the right- to avoid the tail swing of the lorry, the lefthand rear tire of the car came off. This caused the vehicle to wobble sideways toward Mouat. The left-hand side of the windscreen struck the pedestrian, who was thrown to one side. Darke pulled up within 30 feet. Witness estimated that the car had been travelling at between 30 and 35 miles an hour up to the time the tire came off.

Ernest Edmond Earnshaw, transport owner-driver, another passenger in Darke’s car. gave evidence on similar lines.