THE MOLESWORTH-STREET FATALITY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 15, 17 July 1918, Page 8

THE MOLESWORTH-STREET FATALITY

INQUEST CONTINUED

The enquiry concerning the death of Mr. Ormond Cholmondeley Cooper, governing director of the Stock Department of the Wairarapa Farmers' Coop. Association, Masterton, in the Thornr don Private Hospital, on. Saturday last, following a street collision on the evening of Wednesday last, was continued by Mr. W. G. Eiddell, S.M., Cotpner, this afternoon. The report of yesterday's evidence appears on page 3. John James Black, tramway motorman, said he drove a Karori car a little behind the tram which Motorman Hyde was driving. Witness, while waiting at the loop at the Metropolitan Hotel, saw that Hyde's tram had stopped in an unusual place. Witness drove on down to the scene of the accident, and looked for but saw no light oh the lorry. The street was badly lit at the time. Witness heard Kearney ask the driver o£ the lorry, "Where are your lights?" but could not hear the answer given. Mr. Munt asked witness what was the matter. Witness suggested that the taxi should be shifted. The driver of the lorry was getting ready the ropes to move the taxi, when Munt said, "Who is going .to pay for this shifting?" and as no one could tell him ho ordered his men home. Witness and others then managed to move the taxi far enough to leave the line clear. Frank James Griffin, '"""lorryman, said he -was driving up Molesworth-street towards the stables in Tinakori-road. He drove on the right-hand side of the road because he considered there was not room on the left-hand side of the street. A light was carried underneath the lorry, on the right-hand side. As the lorrycrossed the road, witness saw a tram approaching. Witness was then well over to the right-hand side of the road. A motor-car was then seen approaching, and witness pulled up. Witness' called out to the driver of the car, who'immediately put his brakes on, apparently thinking that the team was going to turn, into a loop at the corner. Had Kearney driven straight on, witness thought he would have got through safely, but when the brakes were applied the back of the ta^i slewed right round, striking the lorry with such force as to throw witness, off. . Kearney, he considered, was travelling at a fast rate. To Mr. Neave : Witness drove on the lef t-Tiand side of the street as far • as Aitken-street, when he crossed over to the right-hand side. If a driver attempted to pursue his course up Moles-worth-street on the left-hand side, there would be a great danger of colliding with a tram car. TheTe was only a clearance of a'few inches, and it was not possible if a horse played up at all to avoid an accident. The horses were always more difficult to control going home. With an empty lorry and n6 brake, the driver had to depend-on his horses altogether. The tram car had left Pipitea-streefc before the two motor-cars came into view. ' The lorry was pulled up before the first .motor, car passed Motor-' nian Hyde's.tram. Witness swore that a lighted lamp was carried in front of the lorry on the carriage at the side.

The first motorcar passed between the tram and the lorry. If Kearney had! Kept on- witness considered the taxi would have got through as the first car did. Witness caHfed out to Kearneyjust as the taxi was on the turn, after the brakes had been applied. A northerly raiii was falling. The horses neither moved nor swerved till the taxi struck the lorry shaft", when they were turned round by the force of the impact.

In answer to Mr. O'Leary, witness said that the lamp he carried was tied on to an' iron stay at the front of the lorry by hempen twine. After the accident witness was not able to find the light. ' -• . • . Mr. O'Leary: However, the plain fact is that you were unable ts show them any light?— That is so. According to you the lorry was pulled right up to the watertable, and there was plenty of room to allow a car to pass?— Certainly. : : .=.'.;■ Had you stopped when the first motorcar passed?— Yes, and I was in the same position when.the taxi-car came down. . • To the Coroner: The tramcar was not so far down ths hill when the first car' passed. It had a little more room. To Mr. Neave: The taxi was behind the tramcar when witness first noticed it.

Constable Thomas Swan said that when he arrived on the scene, the taxi was standing about 12ft from the watertable on the left-hand side of the street coming down. Tbe lorry had then driven off. The taxi took up about sft of the street; the lorry was about 6ft 3in wide. ■ The distance between the kerb and the tram lines on the left side coming down the street was 16ft Sin, and on the other side of the road 9ft 2in. The :oad over all is about 30ft wide wu-ere the accident occurred. (

After, hearing further evidence, the Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to injuries received in a collision between a motor-car and a horselorry. Under the circumstances, said the Coroner, no bla,me was attached to the driver of the motor-car, and- so far as the driver of the lorry was concerned he would make no remarks.