TWO KILLED

Evening Star, Issue 20372, 2 January 1930, Page 8

TWO KILLED

TERRIFIC MOTOR IMPACT GARS ALMOST COMPLETE WRECKS TWO OTHER MEH IK HOSPITAL A terrific impact between two motors on the Portohello road early on the morning of New Year’s Day resulted in the death of two men and in serious injuries being suffered by two other men The casualties were:— DAVID VERNON WILKINS, motor mechanic and driver, single, of 21 Hope street, Dunedin, 20 years of age. DAVID EDWARDS labourer, mar ried, of 8 Colston street, South Dunedin, 35 years of age. IN HOSPITAL. JAMES TODD, petrol station proprietor, Bridgman street Caversham. DONALD M'NAUGHTON PATERSON. 6 Colston street, South Dunedin. MINOR INJURIES. JAMES RUSSELL, labourer, 539 Cumberland street, Dunedin. SIDNEY GILLMAN MOCKFORD, motor driver, of Roxburgh. VIOLENT COLLISION At the time of accident, about £ o’clock, it was daylight. From the evidence of the men who were able to make statements, it appears that at about 5 a.m. yesterda’" a party left South Dunedin in Mr Todd’s five-seater sedan motor car for Portobello, those in .the car being'John Alitchell Paterson, who was at the wheel, James Todd, David M'Naughton Paterson, Alfred Willis, and David Edwards. Coming in the opposite direction was a parcels delivery van owned bv the Red Band Taxi Company, and driven by David Wilkins. Near the old powder hulk, on a fairly straight part of the road, which was in good order, the vehicles collided, the'impact being so great that both were damaged almost beyond repair. Wilkins and Edwards, who were very severely injured,' were practically killed outright, while Todd and Donald Paterson were badly injured and needed removal to the hospital. AFTER THE IMPACT The driver of the sedan car (John Mitchell Paterson) was luckily uninjured, and, alighting immediately after the accident, found Wilkins lying on the road in a dying condition. Edwards, who had been thrown on to the stones at the water’s edge, 10ft below, was dead. Mr Paterson did what he could for the men, and then made his way to a telephone about a quarter of a mile walk up the hill, and summoned the ambulance and the police. On returning to the scene Ife put coats over the injured men. Wilkins was alive and groaning, but died just as the ambulance reached the spot. The ambulance conveyed James Todd and Donald Paterson to the hospital. Both were unconscious, and suffering from serious injuries. Two passengers were in the van driven by._ Wilkins—James Russell and Sidney Gillman Mockford. Both received injuries. Mockford was cut about the face, one wound requiring five stitches. Two men in the sedan— John Mitchell Paterson (motor mechanic) and Willis (baker’s assistant)—were uninjured. The hotpital authorities, reported this morning that an operation had been performed on Todd, who was slightly better. Paterson was in about the same condition. Both men were still on the seriously ill list, but were expected to recover. It was obvious, from the position of the cars after the accident and their condition, that the impact must have been a severe one. The right side of the sedan was very bady damaged, most of the woodwork being reduced to matchwood. The motor van was a wreck. The fore axle was wrenched out. of position, and the metal work in front and the steering wheel appeared to have been driven back with considerable force upon the driver. It seemed that the parcels van must have collided with the side of the sedan and turned it completely round. STATEMENTS TO POLICE In a statement to the police John Mitchell Paterson said he was a brother of Donald Paterson, who. was seriously iniuved in" the accident. He was emTiloved at Mr James Todd’s service station at the corner of Bridgman street, Caversham, and was driving Air Todd’s car at the time of the accident. They were going to a crib past the powder hulk on the Portobella road, while travelling at about fifteen or twenty miles an hour, a violent collision took place between the Reo car he was driving and a Red Band taxi parcel delivery van, which had three men in it. Where the collision took place there was a lam.V straight, open piece of road, and He saw the van come round the cornel about 200yds away. - He kept as far over to the correct side of the road as possible to try to avoid a collision, but the van struck his car about the centre, turning it completely round and partly over the bank. Alfred Willis (17* years of age), re-

siding at 76 Glasgow street. South Dunedin, stated to the polico that.ha was in the sedan car wnftn the accident occurred. Paterson was not driving fast. The Red Band car hit the sedan, on the right running board and turned it round, so that one of the rear wheels was over the bank. The van came to a stop with the rear against the hiU and the front'pointing out to the road. , He helped to lift Edwards fro;a ms beach to the road, and later on lie »aw the driver of the van lying in the rear part of the van. . Janies Russell, labourer, said that about 11 o’clock on Tuesday night ha left towr with Wilkins and Mockford. They went t- a crib at Company's Bay, stayed tor a while, and then decided to return home. Wilkins, the driver, was very steady at the corners of the road. He (Russell) was sittirg i the back of the van, and knew nothing whatever of the accident. He was unconscious for a while. INODEST OPENED At seven, o’clock last night an inquest, was opened at the Aforgue to inquire into the cii'cumstances of the deaths of David Vernon Wilkins and David Edwards. The Coroner was Mr H. v» „• Bundle, S.AL, and Sergeant GiUigan represented the police. Only formal evidence was taken. - . Charles Augustus St. Clair Wilkins, storeman, at present out of employment, said he identified a body in the Alorgue as that of his son. He lived with witness in Hope street. Witness, last saw him alive at 7.30 on Tuesday night. The deceased did not sleep' at home that night, and. witness did not know his movements. ■ " *’ Charles Essex Wilkins, motor mechanic, said that on Tuesday night ' he was staying in a crib at Graseey Point, near Broad Bay About I ! o’clock on Wednesday morning ms brother arrived at the crib in the Red . Band parcel yah, and stayed for about three hours. He left about 5 a.m. in company with James Bussell, and Sidney Mockford No other persons were ' in the car. There was only a small amount of liquor in the cnb. There xas a party of ten, including the deceased The liquor consisted of port wine and a bottle of whisky. The debased had two or three drinks of port wine, but no whisky, and when he left he was perfectly sober. Witness knew nothing oi the accident, and only heard of it at 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning, Thomas Leonard Edwards, builder’s labourer said he resided at Shiel Hill, near Anderson’s Bay A body in tho Morgue he identified as his brother. Witness had -not seen him for some days prior to Christmas. The Coronc said th«+ the inn- vn each case would stand adjourned to a date to be fixed