FAMOUS SINGER IN ROAD CRASH

Evening Star, Issue 19025, 21 August 1925, Page 2

FAMOUS SINGER IN ROAD CRASH

CMSA BUTT’S HELP FOR DYING MOTOR CYCLIST. Mr Ketmerloy Rumford, the husband of Dame Clara Butt, was present at the inquest at Savernake Hospital on Francis Thomas Willis, the nineteen-year-old motor cyclist, of Swindon, who was killed in a collision with Dame Clara Butt’s motor car. The accident happened at lumbers Corner, where the Bath and Swindon roads meet, just outside Hungorford. Dame Clara Butt was returning from Bristol, where on the previous night, her silver wedding anniversary, she and 'her husband had been giving a concert.

■Albert Greatbanks, Dame Clara Butt’s chauffeur, said he was driving a forty to fifty horse-power Rolls-Royce from Bristol to London. Coming down the hill into Hungerford he sounded hw horn, and got no response. He therefore drove on, and to his surprise the deceased drove out from the Swindon road rather quickly. He turned slightly to the left, and then to the right. Witness turned the car towards the right-hand side of the road in order to try to avoid him, but the deceased crashed into the left wing of his car. Everything happened so suddenly that witness could not pull up at once. He stopped as soon as ne could. Witness was only a few feet away when he first saw the motor cycle. He did not think that he was going at a greater speed than twenty-five miles an hour. In witness’s opinion, Willis lost control of his machine, but witness could not have avoided the accident had he turned to the left instead of to the right. It was impossible to see anyone, particularly a cyclist, coming out of the Swindon road because of the high hedge.

Dame Clara Butt’s maid, wso was riding at the side of the chauffeur, said Willis rushed out of the Swindon road. He hesitated, and did not seem to know which way to go. He swayed to and fro on his machine as if he had lost his head. He then struck the left wing of the car, which was travelling very alowly. Join Barr Hamilton, of St. Mary s Hospital, Paddington, said he was driving a cjele car behind Dame Clara Butt’s car, which swerved towards the right on going down the hill into Hungerford. Willis came out of the side road, and seemed to hit the car as it began to swerve. Another witness said that the motor cyclist was driving at a good rate. Dame Clara Butt and another lady who were riding in the car ran to the deceased’s assistance after the crash. The Coroner, in summing up, said it was verv important that drivers, when faced with a sudden emergency, should learn to try to go behind the object which they desired to miss. It was certain that if the driver in this case had turned to the left ho would have missed tho motor cycle. The vary returned a verdict of Accidental death,” .and expressed the minion &at the driver of the car did tifiwoiteope* ...

Mr Konnorley Rumford expressed his own and his wife’s regret at the occurrence, and their sympathy with the young man’s parents.