THREE MORE WITNESSES

Evening Star, Issue 20421, 28 February 1930, Page 11

THREE MORE WITNESSES

WAVERLEY INQUEST CONTINUED EARLY ARRIVALS TESTIFY TO SOBRIETY Further evidence was taken this morning at the- inquest on David Vernon Edwards and David Vernon Wilkins the victims of the collision between a Reo car and a parcels delivery van on the Lower Portobello road on the morning of New Year’s Day. Ada Smith, residing at 6 Duncan street, said that at 5 a.mi on January 1 she returned to town from Grassy Point. She sat on the outside of the front of the Red Band van with Mockford and Vilkins and Miss Garry and Russell were in the rear of the van. At the bend before the collision the van was travelling on its correct side, only about a foot out from the bank. She firs 4 saw the Reo car about 40yds away. It was in the centre of the road She was no judge of speed. but the Reo was going fairly fast and faster than the van. The Citroen was travelling on only three cylinders. She estimated the speed of the van as twenty miles. The van slowed down to fifteen miles at the time of the collisioni when the van was about ore foot out from the bank on its correct side. She watcher the Reo car approaching. Its pace was not slackened. In the collision she sustained slight facial and bodily injuries. All the occupants of the van were sober. She knew Paterson prior to the accident. On January 15 or 16 she met Paterson in Clark street. Hambleton and Willis were with him. Paterson said Willis was with him at the time of the collision. He ask-jd her how she was getting on and whether she know how the accident happened. She replied she. did not know the cause. He did not say anything about seeing the van coming along the road. _ Paterson said his brother was still in hospital. She told him she wa not going on anybody’s side, as she was going to tell the truth. He said he could only got twelve years, and she said “ You do not want to talk like that.” Hambleton said there were two girls in the car at 4 o’clock, but he got out at Bay View road. Paterson asked her if the police had interviewed her. He said they had had not had any drink. It was not suggested that she should give evidence for either side. At the scene of the accident nothing was said by an of the passengers as to the cause of the collision.

To Mr Simpson; Mockford was paying a little attention to her on the journey from Portobello. but he was giving more attention to the road. The van was always on its correct side. William Black, ambulance driver, said he arrived on the scone at 5.30 a.m. Ho described the positions of the cars. All the occupants were sober. Herbert James Hastio, manager of the Gold Band Taxis, gave corroborative evidence. The opinion ho formed shortly after the collision was that a fast speed must have been recorded to have caused the extensive damage. There was plenty of room on the road for two cars to/pass. He was of the opinion that one or the other of the vehicles must have been out of control. Ho had Irivon the Reo about a year ago, and it could attain a speed of fifty or sixty miles without much effort. To Mr Callan: _Marks made by the Reo showed a skid from the harbour side to the centre of the road. The inquest was adjourned to 2 p.m.