FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

Evening Star, Issue 18715, 18 August 1924, Page 8

FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

BOY SCHAAB’S DEATH. INQUEST CONTINUED. The inquest on the body of Alan Francis Schaab, aged seven years and seven months, who was killed through being run over by a motor van in Princes street south on Saturday, August 9, was continued this morning before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. (sitting as coroner). Mr 0. W. Payne appeared for the Cooperative Dairy Company, by whom the driver was employed,_ and Mr W. Allan appeared for the driver (Robert Bruce Sparrow). Sub-inspector Fraser represented the police. , , Sergeant Dunlop produced a sketch or the locality where the accident occurred. Th? various positions on the plan were pointed out to him by eye-witnesses. BOYS’ EVIDENCE. lan Ernest Schaab, nine years of ago, said he went with his brother to the premises of the Bell Tea Company for wood. They were told they could not get any till 11 o’clock, and returned at that time. They had a trolly. Thoy came past Stedman’s garage, witness sitting on the trolly and his brother pushing it. Some Syrian boys came along with trollies, and witness and his brother had a fight with them. A man separated them, but further along the road they again fought. One Syrian boy pulled their trolly over to the otlmr side of the road. Deceased wont to go after their trolly, but another Syrian boy pushed him over. A motor car came down Hope street and ran over deceased. When the Syrian boy saw that deceased was run over he ran homo. Richard Joseph, twelve years of age, said that ho and others were going along Princes street with trollies. One of them collided with the trolly pushed by deceased, and there was a. fight. 1 hey veie stopped, but started fighting again. W itness saw deceased run across the road, ano thought he went to get his trolly. Witness did not know how the trolly got across the road. Deceased was knocked down after leaving the footpath and before he got to the tram line. Witness did not see. the accident happen, but saw the bodv being carried info a shop. Edward Farris, nine years of age, said ho pushed Alan Schaab off his trolly. There was a fight, which was stopped by a man Further along the street there was another light. Witness then went homo, and did not sec anything of the accident. He did not see anyone take deceased s trolly across the road, nor did he sec do ceased run across the road. OTHER WITNESSES.

Margaret M’Con’ie said she saw some boys fighting on the corner of Hope and Princes' streets. The man who was sweeping the street sent the small boy Sehaab across the road. Another boy chased him and caught hold of him. Witness was about to stop them from fighting when Per attention was directed to the oilier hov Sehaab, who had been knocked down by a car. She did not see the accident; it occurred behind her. William M'Callum, who was sweeping the street channel, said he saw the bays fighting, a,ml told them to go somewhere else. Witness carried on at his work, and when ho got past Hope street, ho turned round and saw that a car had knocked down a boy. lan Oliver Shepard said he was in the Manor Place Post Office when he happened to look out the door and see the hack wheel of the motor car go over tlio boy’s chest. The wheels of the car nearest the gutter went over the boy. THE DPIVEITS ACCOUNT. Robert Bruco Sparrow, the. diiver of the motor, said ho was delivering butter to various shops about town. lie was driving a coverod-in Dodgo van. As he came towards Ihe Manor place crossing there was a tram ahead of him ou tlio crossing and a pair-horse waggon crossing the road. The driver of this nodded to witness to go past, him. When he came near the car, witness slackened speed, as he thought the car might stop to let passengers alight. The car, however, did not stop, and witness drove on. Seeing some boys on the corner of tiie footpatli at Hope street, witness checked ids speed, as ho was afraid they would come on to the road. They were already slightly on the road. S uddenly ho noticed a little, hoy near his front right wheel, between it and the tram line. Witness put on the brakes, put the car out of gear, and swerved into the footpath. Just at lha.t moment the van lilt the boy. At the time of the accident ho was going at about twelve miles an hour. His attention was attracted by the hoys on the footpath, and, as there was a. tramcar ahead of him, it was not likely that anyone would come from that side.

To Mr Payne: It was possible, that the front right wheel knocked the hoy down and that the rear left wheel wont over him. Witness had been driving for six years and had not had any accidents before. He, had never been warned in any wav.

To the Coroner; With the load of butter lie had on the van would weigh about two tons.

Recalled by the coroner, the witness Shepard again said that it was the lefthand hack wheel which went over the boy. There was a, tramcar going north. Tho Coroner then adjourned the inquiry till the afternoon to hear a witness named Ga-lland, who was riding a, bicycle behind the motor. His evidence, Mr Bartholomew said, would be important in regard to the speed of the motor van.