AFTER MOTOR SMASH

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 74, 28 March 1931, Page 6

AFTER MOTOR SMASH

DEATH FROM MENINGITIS

Meningitis! following lour days after injuries received when a motor-cycle and sidecar, in which lie was a, passenger, collided with a ear at tlio corner of Deo street and Island Bay parade, resulted in the death of Bertie Thomas. At an inquest into tho circumstances of tho caso at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon tho Coroner, Mr. I. Salek, J.P., was called upon to decide whether tho meningitis was a direct result of the accident. After hearing medical evidence he came to the conclusion that death was due to meningitis contributed to by a collision with a. motor-car driven by lan A. J;\ Macdonald. Evidence showed tliat when tho motor-cycJc collided with ' the car on 16th March it apparently turned over, throwing Laurie H. Thomas (tho driver) and his brother, Bertie Thomas, on to tho road. The deceased,., who suffered injuries to the face and a brokon nose, was taken to Dr. Slater, and then to his home. Ho was removed to the Hospital on 19th March, and died the following day. Dr. B. T. Hooper, house surgeon at Wellington Hospital, said that a complication which might arise out of an injury to the noso was an infection of the brain. Such a complication could not be avoided, and only arose in perhaps one caso in a thousand. The meningitis in this instance was consistent with the injuries the deceased had received four days before lie was admitted to Hospital, but it was possible that tho disease had been caught in another way. Witness considered that in any caso the accident would have .been a contributory factor to his death. Mr. E. Parry, who appeared for lan Macdonald, in addressing the Coroner at the conclusion of evidence, said that in this case tho doctor had stated that the injuries received were consistent with his death by meningitis. | That would not be sufficient to justify ' the Court finding that death was duo to the accident. Ho suggested that if there was any possibility of such a finding he would like to call additional medical evidence. ■ The Coroner: "I am not satisfied that the accident contributed wholly to I" the death, bnt-I think that the collision contributed to the complaint from which he died."