YOUNG BOY'S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 18852, 29 January 1925, Page 2

YOUNG BOY'S DEATH

KNOCKED DOWN BY MOTOR. ACCIDENT QUITE UNAVOIDABLE. INQUEST CONCLUDED. So intent was Murray M'Gregor, aged seven, on watching the struggles of a small dog in the water by the Anderson Bav bridge that ho did not notice two motor cars approaching. The dog was caught in the current that flows undei the bridge, and was swept lad engrossed in the little animal s struggles, darted across to the other side. He nuts knocked down by the second car, driven at a quiet pace by Dr E. IT. Williams, and died later in the hospital from head injuries. This happened on Sunday, January 11. The lad was a son of Mr G. F. M'Gregor. Mr 17. W. Bundle, S.M, sitting as coroner, concluded the inquest this morning. Sub-inspector Fraser represented the police, and Mr A. N. Haggitt was present on behalf of Dr Williams. Dr Charles D. Read, bouse surgeon at the Dunedin Hospital, said that the deceased lad was admitted on January 11. Dr N. C. Speight, who examined the lad, was absent on a trip to .England at present. Witness could not produce the notes of Dr Speight. He. handed in the notes of Dr Jenkins, the honorary surgeon in charge of the case. John Reid Burt, a dentist in business in High street, said he was walking in the direction of Waverloy over the traffic bridge at Anderson Ray. Ho saw some children at the end of the bridge, watching a dog that was swimming in the water, The dog was getting swept into tho current that was flowing into the inlet, and lie crossed over to see what would happen to it. Two cars came along behind witness, travelling towards Wavorley. After they had passed over be noticed the figure of a boy lying near the middle of the, bridge. He was unconscious when witness went over to him, and was bleeding from a, wound in tho head. Dr Williams then came back from the second car, which was stopped two or three lengths further on. Witness could give no idea, of the. speed of the cars. Ho assisted Dr Williams io take the lad to the hospital. Thomas Herbert Brnsnan. a, dairyman, of Caversham, said that on the ofay in question a friend named Robertson and himself cycled down the bay. Just before reaching tho bridge they saw two cars ahead ol them. Ho did not fake any more notice for a, moment., and 'when lie looked up he observed Dr Williams’s car pulling up on tho right hand side of the bridge. Din doctor got out and ran back, and witness then noticed tho boy lying on the bridge. The car was going quite slowly, for witness and his friend were gaining on it.

W ijliam Rohertsun, a garage, employee, residing at ,South Dunedin, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. Ph Li nest H. AViiliams, medical practitioner, of .Dunedin, said he, was driving a, motor car near (he, Anderson Bay bridge at a, speed of less than fifteen miles per hour. A five-seafor car preceded him by about twenty-five or thirty yards, and as witness approached tbs bridge ho noticed two hoys looking over the left-hand railing somewhere past the middle of the bridge. W itness noticed two men on the light-hand side of the bridge, and a lady and two children at the far approach to the bridge. AVilncss concluded that everybody had seen the cars, because the men moved out of the way. AVlien he had reached the middle of the bridge, one of the hoys on his left made a sudden dash across, and witness hit him with his left mudguard. Witness may have swerved, and he then pulled up to he clear of the bridge and clear of the fairway. Ho then ran hade to where the hoy was lying, and with Mr Burl’s assistance, took him to the hospital, winch they reached just before 3 o’clock. Dr Jenkins was near the hospital, and witness asked him (as Dr feigns was ont ot town that afternoon) t-o attend to the patient. He did so at once, 'the boy bad given no warning that he was going to eross the bridge. W:it-iic-s had to pull up on thy right-hand side to be clear of the women and children. -1 ho ( oroner said that evidence was dear concerning this distressing fatality of January 11. Deceased, a young boy aisMit seven years of age, stayed with Id’s failin' in Anderson Bay mad." The. father had gone away to a I lend to something, telling the, boy not to go mil. The lad had, however, gone out with another boy, and had wandered along to the Anderson ‘Bay bridge. They wore watdiing a dog swimming near fho bridge, which was not very wide —just an ordinary traffic bridge. Two cars approached, the second driven by Dr Williams. There w.'m no doubt (hat Dr AViiliams was travelling at a quiet pace approaching (ho bridge. The hoys were intently watching (he dog, which was in danger of being caught in the current flowing under the bridge, Air Burt himself was watching dm dog, and it was quite evident that this poor little chap was even more interested in the clog’s struggles than Mr Burt:. Tiie lad made a sudden move just as the car came up, and ran across the bridge. He was knocked down. Dr Williams had taken every reasonable precaution. This was one of the cases which no amount of care could avoid. The verdict would he that deceased died through head injuries received on January 11 bv being accidentally knocked down by a motor car. Every sympathy was due to the father of (ho boy, and sympathy was due also to the driver of the car, Dr AViiliams.