CYCLIST’S DEATH

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 255, 24 July 1936, Page 17

CYCLIST’S DEATH

Collided With Taxi at Kilbirnie CORONER’S INQUIRY I A finding- that Frederick Collin, painter and decorator, of 5 Te Whiti Street, Kilbirnie, died of injuries re-, ceived when the push-bicycle be was riding came into collision with a taxicab driven by Alexander Lochore, on the afternoon of July 4, was brought by Mr. E. Gilbertson. J.P., at a coroner’s inquest yesterday. Senior-Sergeapt J. Dempsey appeared for the police, Mr. C. J. O’Regan for the relatives of the dead man, and Mr. I. Macarthur for the taxi-driver. The driver of the car, Oswald Alexander Lochore, a taxi-driver employed by the Kilbirnie Kab Kompany, deposed that he was driving along Sea? toun Road in a westerly direction, at about 4.30 p.m. on July 4. When about 30 yards from the Te Whiti Street intersection he saw a cyclist approaching. He did not notice the cyclist again until his vehicle was practically over the intersection. When just about abreast of the cyclist he saw him standing upon his pedals as if attempting to gather speed. The cyclist had turned immediately in front bf the ear. He immediately applied the foot-brake, but his foot slipped on to the accelerator, and the speed of the ear increased. The cyclist was struck by the right front portion of the car. After the impact, continued witness, his car travelled 40 yards before it pulled up. At the time he had been travelling at 25 miles an hour. When his foot slipped on to the accelerator the accident had already happened. He had the impression that the cyclist was trying to increase speed to get out of hjs way. Ellen Dobson, bookbinder, who was a passenger in the rear seat of the taxi, said that she felt a bump, and the taxi gave a lurch as if the driver had tried to pull up suddenly. The taxi was then iteing driven at a moderate speed along Seatoun Road, on its right side. When the driver got out of the taxi witness got out also, and saw a man lying in the roadway. John Rainsford Cunningham, ehem ist, said that when driving his car along Seatoun Road he had noticed a man riding a bicycle directly in front of his car. He was 15 to 20 yards iff front, and was turning into Te Whiti Street Just as he turned, witness saw a taxi proceeding in the other direction, at about 30 miles an hour. “I could see that if the cyclist continued to turn he would place himself directly in the course of the fflixi. At that moment I heard a crash, and knew that the taxi had collided with the cyclist,” said Mr. Cunningham. “I stopped my car and returned to the scene. I thought the man would be dead with the force of the impact, but as I approached the man raised himself.” Cross-examined by Mr. O’Regan, witness said that there had been nothing to obstruct the taxi-driver’s view of the cyclist. He had not heard any fiorn sounded by the taxi-driver; he considered that had there been such a sound he would have heard it. Another eye-witness, William Albert Gibson, said that the taxi did not appear to be travelling at any great speed. The cyclist would have had a elear view of the taxi for about 400 yards. The taxi did not stop until it had travelled 100 yards past the injured man. The cyclist did not appear to be cutting the corner. A youth of 16, who also witnessed the accident, Maxwell Walter Harrison, gave his estimate of the taxi’? speed as about 45 miles an hour. He did not see tlie cyclist signal bis intention to turn. The taxi did not slacken speed until the impact, and travelled a further 75 yards or so before it pulled UP- After the impact the driver did not appear to apply the brakes until he had covered a further 25 yards. He then appeared to lose control, as the car staggered zig-zag fashion across the road until it stopped. “On what do you base your estimate of the speed of the car? Guess-work?’’ asked the coroner.

"I have an idea of the speed of a car. I thought it was going about 45,” replied witness. Further evidence was given by a law clerk,’John Reginald Stevens. "The evidence discloses that deceased, who was riding a push-bicycle, crossed in front of the car. He was seen to look behind him, but not in front of him. He was struck by the car and thrown violently on to the road about 40 yards away. I shall not make further comment ip view of the possibility of further proceedings," said the coroner.