GIRL STRUCK BY LOCOMOTIVE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 8

GIRL STRUCK BY LOCOMOTIVE

Accidental Death Verdict

CHILDREN ON KAIWARRA

RAILWAY BRIDGE

A verdict of accidental death through being struck by a locomotive on the Kaiwarra railway bridge on September 2 was given by the district coroner. Mr. E. Gilbertson, at an inquest yesterday into the death of Lilian Conn, aged seven, Kaiwarra. “It is quite evident these children had no business whatever to be there. They had crossed the footbridge and then went over the railway bridge for a short-cut, ’ said the coroner. No blame was attachable to the engine-driver.

Mary Kincaid, aged seven, said that on the afternoon of September 2 she met Lilian Conn and Geraldine Macintyre and was asked to go down to the Kaiwarra beach and play. On their way they went to the railway station and crossed over the lines at the footbridge. lhe three of them walked down to the railway bridge. She was too frightened to cross it, but Geraldine walked and Lilian crawled across. She heard the train when Lilian was nearly across, and when the train whistled she ran back off the bridge. She saw Lilian stand up and next saw her lying in the creek bdow. Some men then came along ami lilted Geraldine Macintyre, aged 11, said that on the morning of the accident Lilian came to her home for lunch. In the afternoon the three of them went down to" the beach. At about 4 o’clock they decided to go home. She went ahead and the first she saw.of the train was when it stopped after it had crossed the bridge. Robert Weir, engine-driver, said he passed through.the Kaiwarra station at 3.55 p.m. on the afternoon of the accident, and estimated his speed to be about 35 miles an hour. The train then went on to a slight right-hand bend which was just before the bridge over the Kaiwarra Stream. About 30 or 40 yards from the bridge he had a good view of it for two or three seconds, and in that time he saw two children on the left-hand side of the bridge apparently crawling across it. He immediately applied the emergency brakes and the train stopped with the rear end of the van about 20 yards away from the south end of the bridge. After stopping he saw the guard. He kept a sharp look-out when approaching the station and yards for important signals. Thomas William Stannard, fireman, said the first he knew of anything wrong was when Weir called out. “Those kiddies,” and then the immediate application of the emergency brakes. The engine of the train was on the bridge when he first saw the child, and he next saw another child in mid-air. She appeared to be falling toward the stone wall on the south side of the culvert. He did not see the engine hit the child. Others who gave evidence were Harry Coatman, guard, and Constable E. Burnett.