“SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON ROAD”

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 130, 26 February 1937, Page 6

“SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON ROAD”

Motor-car Which Capsized

NEED FOR EXAMINATION OF ALL VEHICLES

Dominion Special Service.

Palmerston North. February 2u.

Replving to a question by the coroner, Mr.'A. J. Graham, as to whether the history of the accident showed the necessity for a complete examination of all cars, F. W. Senter, service manager, Selwyn Motors, stated to-day at the inquest on Sutton James Hemmings, aged 31, farm worker, Umutoi, that a car in the condition of that driven by Hemmings when he was fatally injured should not be ou the road. Hemmings died in hospital following fracture of the base of the skull received when a car he was driving overturned on the Napier Road, Whakarongo, on February 15. Senior-Ser-geant J. Mclntyre conducted the inquest. Hemmings’s car passed him at 40 miles an hour, said M. E. Knudsen, farmer. Whakaronga. It appeared to have insufficient room to pass another ear on its correct side as this car moved to the right with the apparent intention of turning into a gateway on the left. Hemmings swerved out to pass on the incorrect side of this car. Then he appeared to make a violet effort to return to his correct side. His car did not seem to have reduced speed and capsized.

Senter, who examined the ear at the request of the police, said he found a steering tie-rod broken. It was an unusual type of fracture, caused through faulty construction of the tierod itself. The car was old and the tierod definitely not the original. It would answer if not subjected to abnormal strain. The undue strain placed on the tie-rod by swerving the car broke it and caused the accident. The coroner: Does this show the necessity for a complete examination of all cars?—“Absolutely."

The verdict was of accidental death from injuries received.

POLO AT MASTERTON

Hawke’s Bay Team Win

Match

Masterton, February 25. Hawke’s Bay were sunerior in all departments of the polo match which they played with the Masterton Polo Club at Te Ore Ore, Masterton, yesterday afternoon. However, the game was interesting and was witnessed by a large attendance of spectators. The Masterton team badly missed the services of W. Levin, who is at present in hospital at Feilding suffering from broken ribs received last time he played. Hawke’s Bay scored three goals in the first chukka, but there was no further score until the fourth chukka, when the visitors put on another three goals. After the interval the bay team opened up again and added three more goals in the fifth chukka and another in the sixth. There was no score in the last chukka, and the contest epded with Hawke’s Bay the victors by ten points to nil. ;