MAORI'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 15

MAORI'S DEATH

STRUCK BY CAR

HUTT ROAD ACCIDENT

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

The finding of the Coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, J.P., at the inquest held at Lower Hutt today into the death of Percy Warren, who died in the Wellington Hospital on June 19, as the result of an accident on the evening of June 18, near the Maori meeting house on the Hutt Road, Lower Hutt, was that the deceased died as a result of injuries received by being knocked down by a motor-car driven by Edgar Colin Nankivell. Sergeant J. W. McHolm conducted the inquest. Mr. O. C. Mazengarb represented the widow of the deceased, and Mr. N. T. Gillespie tha driver of the taxi. Two witnesses, George Rangihaeta and George Wereta, under cross-exam-ination by Mr. Gillespie, stated that the deceased had at least five drinks during the afternoon, the occasion being a Maori funeral. • Suggestions' were made by Mr. Gillespie that there had been collusion between some of the Maori witnesses. The Coroner said he was satisfied there had been drinking on the part of the Maoris and that there was evidence of collusion. He would not say that the deceased was incapable of walking straight. John Warren, a brother of the deceased, said his brother's sight' and hearing were good. He was quite sober at 6 p.m. LIGHTS OF TAXI SEEN. Wereta said he and Rangihaeta were in a car with Warren. They got out on the eastern side of the road, Warren and Rangihaeta by the right-hand door and witness by the left. The deceased was about four strides in front of witness when they commenced to cross the road. He saw the lights of an approaching taxi 100 yards away. Warren ran to get over before the car came. There appeared to be plenty of time for him to cross in front of the car. Witness did not see the accident. The car appeared to be travelling at a higher rate of speed than the usual speed. Warren was quite sober. No liquor was allowed at the meeting-house.

Rangihaeta said Warren followed him across the road. He saw the taxi approaching about 150 yards away. He turned to see if his mates were coming over the road and saw Warren break into a trot, but the car struck him. The car was travelling faster than the usual run of cars—he woulcf say about fifty miles an hour. Warren was quite sober.

Taylor Love stated that he was about 100 yards from the meeting house when he noticed a man getting out of a car parked on the eastern side of the road. This man, who was Warren, walked straight across the road. Witness saw the taxi approaching and estimated its speed at from 45 to 50 m.p.h. When he first saw the lights of the car shine on Warren the vehicle would be about 80 yards away from the deceased. The car obscured his vision of the accident. He had seen Warren at 6.30 p.m. Warren was then sober, but witness was not near enough to say whether he had had liquor. The locality was not well lighted. He did not hear brakes being applied.

Patricia May Love said she was accompanying her husband, the previous witness. She saw Warren crossing the road but thought he had ample time to get over before the car reached him. There was nothing in the speed of the car to draw her attention to it. It seemed to be travelling at the usual speed for cars in that locality, that was, fairly fast. PASSENGER'S EVIDENCE. Roy Charles Coe, a passenger in the taxi, said it was travelling at about 30 m.p.h. He did not feel the bump nor did he see Warren. The car was severely braked and it was definitely not exceeding 30 m.p.h. Edgar C. Nankivell, the driver of the taxi, stated that he was driving in a northerly direction along the Hutt Road on his correct side at about 28 miles per hour. It was not raining, but the bitumen was wet. He had passed the hall when he saw two men running across the road right in front of him. They were making for the western footpath. They were not more than two or three feet away, and he did not have a chance of missing the second man, who was in the rear. The man was struck and thrown on to a motor-car parked on the western side of the road. He found a place to park and stopped. At the time of the accident he had commenced to slow down because he was slightly dazzled by lights of a car going south. He did not have time to .swerve in either direction. He had applied his brakes immediately he saw the first man. When he picked the man up he formed the opinion that he was slightly under the influence of liquor. The brakes and lights of the car were in first-class order. "MODERATE SPEED." Berta Underwood stated tha£ she was a passenger in the taxi, which was travelling at a moderate speed. She did not see anyone walking across the road. Constable A. W. Nalder stated that there were no skid marks on the wet bitumen. The driver said the impact took place 14ft from the kerb. The nearest light was 260 ft away. The left lamp of the taxi was pushed back. "UNDER INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR." Dr. W. J. Hutchison said that when he examined the deceased after the accident he was definitely under the influence of liquor. He had come to that conclusion because the deceased was incoherent in his speech and was not able to appreciate the gravity of! his injuries. His actions in this respect could be attributed only to the influence of liquor.