CORONER'S INQUIRY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 40, 16 August 1921, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUIRY

RECENT MOTOR FATALITY.

"A VERY DANGEROUS STREET,"

The motor fatality in Molesworthstreet on the evening of 9th August, resulting in the death of a boy named, Benjamin .Victor Bevan, 12 » years of age, was the subject of an inquiry by the Coroner (Mr, F. K. Hunt-, S.M.) yesterday afternoon. Sub-Inspector Till conducted the inquest on behalf of the police, and Mr. H. P. O'Leary appeared for the driver of the motor-car, Ainsley Bertram Power. Dr. Pattie said that the cause of death was shock following the injuries received as a result of the accident. Sergeant E. J. Whitehouse said that at the place where the accident occurred the distance from the kerb to the tramrail on the left-hand side was 9ft 3in. On the other side the distance" was 16ft 6in. The width of the tram-track was 3ft 6in, and the tram-car extended twenty inches on each side. The width of the motor-car was sft 2in. To Mr. O'Leary: It was not safe for motor-cars to take the left-hand side of the tram track when proceeding up Moeslworth-street. When there were cars about it was advisable to keep to the right-hand side. Francis Walker, twelve years of age, said that on the evening of the accident he saw young Bevan running along the right-hand side of Molesworth-street. Deceased stepped off the footpath and waited, about one and a-balf yards off the kerb, for a tram-car to pass. After the tram passed he saw a motor-car cross over the road and hit the boy, knocking him down. It was the righthand side of the cai- that hit him. On seeing the car the deceased appeared to be flurried, and did not seem to know which way to go in order to avoid the car. The lights on the motor-car were dim, and he did not hear any horn Bounded. The car was travelling at a fair rate. After young Bevan was knocked do,wn he was lying across the road, his feet being in the gutter. William Walker, nine years of age, gave corroborative evidence. NOT TRAVELLING AT EXCESSIVE SPEED. Richard George Hardie, employed in the Railway Department, said that he picked the boy up. The lad -was lying with his head against the kerb and his feet pointing towards the centre of tile road. ■ ! The Coroner: "That's exactly opposite to what the boy told us." Witness: "Yes." ■ The motor-car stopped within tea yards of striking the boy. He did not hear a horn sounded. To Mr. O'Xeary: .He did not think that the speed of the motor-car was excessive. Gordon Bnrrowes estimated the speed of the cai at twelve miles per hour. To Mr. o'Lea.ry : Ninety-nine per cent, of the traffic proceeding in Moles-worth-street took the right-hand side. William J. Ives, a taxi-proprietor, said that he judged the speed of the motor-car. at from ten to fifteen miles per hour. It was the practice of drivers to come up Molesworth-street on the right-hand side. He did not recollect ever having seen anybody use the lefthand side of the road. THE DRIVER'S EVIDENCE. The driver of the car, Ainsley Bertram • Power, a motor mechanic, said that on the evening of the accident he was driving along Molesworth-ctreet in the direction of Tinakori-road. He was coming up slowly behind a tram . car, and he pulled to the right-hand side with the object of passing the car. There was no traffic on the road! at the time. When opposite the garage, his front mud-guard was level with 'the back platform of the tram car. The boy was running on the in front of him, and witness ewerved towards the gutter. When the boy saw the car he tried to dodge. Young Bevan was, in his opinion, about eight feet out from the curb.' It was the left-hand headlight that struck the boy. Immediately after the accident ha sent for Dr. Pattie. At the time of the accident he had the two sidelights going; the headlights were out. To Mr. O'Leary : He had had thirteen years' experience as a driver. It was not possible to drive on the left-hand side of the road. In view of the fact that the boy was running across the street, he-thought that he adopted the safer course in swerving to the right. REQUEST FOR AN ADJOURNMENT At this stage the father of the deceased requested that the inquiry should be adjourned, in order that he might secure a solicitor to watch his interests. Owing to a disability, said Mr. Bevaai, his hoy was unable to run. Mr. Bevan also requested that another boy who witnessed the accident should* be called. The Coroner agreed to hear this boy's evidence. The lad, Laivrence Robinson, eaid that he was quite sure that the boy was not running. Bevan was struck by the right-hand side of the car. CORONER'S FINDING. The Coroner found that the deceased died from shock following injuries received through being accidentally knocked down by a car driven by Ainsley Bertram Power. The evidence of the boys, said Mr. Hunt, made it appear that there had been negligence on the part of the driver, but, as the result of further investigation, it had been proyed that this was not so. It appeared to him that the story told by theboys had been concocted after the accident, of which they did not have a very clear view. "Molesworth-shreet is one of the most dangerous roads in Wellington," . said Mr. Hunt. "The tram runs so close to the curb. It is a very dangerous practice to drive on the wrong side of any street, however, and it would have been better for tho driver to hay» followed the tram car. However, the weight of evidence showed,that the un- • fortunate happening was an accident, and I find accordingly."