KILLED WHILE PLAYING

Evening Star, Issue 21093, 4 May 1932, Page 12

KILLED WHILE PLAYING

BOY KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR An inquest on Clifford John Whitson, aged seven years, who was killed when ho was knocked down by a motor car in High street, JVlosgiol, last. Tuesday afternoon, was continued by the coroner (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, vS.IU.) to-day. Constable Phillips represented the police. David Findlay, aged eight years, said ho was playing with the boy when he was run over in High street. Clifford Whitson was playing with a hoop. They ran along High street on tho gravel, and when near tho corner of Factory road he saw a car come round the corner. They wore on the left-hand side of tho road. He said, “ Look-out, Cliff., there is a car coming,” He did not know whether or not the other boy heard him. Ho ran on to the grass on tho right side irtid he saw Clifford struck by the car. Mr Wallace pulled up his car about 12yds from where it had struck tho boy. He had shown the police tho spots where tho boy was struck and where tho car stopped. Mr Wallace came back to Clifford with Mrs Wallace, who picked the boy up ami took him to his mother’s home. To counsel for the relatives: Ho did not hoar tho car’s horn sounded, although it might have sounded. Clifford bowled his hoop all the way from the railway on the road. Robert Rutbvcn, a farmer, Wingatui road, said that at about 4.30 p.m. on April 26, be was driving two drays and four horses along Factory road. When he was near Morrison street be saw a car approaching from the rear at a speed of about seven miles an hour. At tho intersection with High street the car cut behind the rear horses to take a turn into High street. He know then that it was Mr Wallace’s car. Ho saw two boys in Factory road; the boy with tho hoop was on the left-hand side and tho other hoy was on the opposite side of the road. When the car was three-quarters of a chain round the corner lie lost sight of one of the boys and saw the hoop being dragged inside the front wheel on the driver’s side. About 7yds further on the hoy dropped from underneath the car and the back wheel passed over his back and shoulder. Ho considered that the car travelled about a chain and a-half after passing over tho boy. To counsel for the driver: The car was still in tho act of turning when it struck the boy. To counsel for the relatives: He heal'd no signal by the car driver before lie made the turn. James lire Wallace, a retired farmer, residing in High street, Mosgicl, said he decreased his speed from fifteen fo five miles an hour approaching High street. Ho did not remember sounding iiis horn, although he gave a hand signal. As his engine was knocking ho accelerated to seven miles an hour. He saw the hoy and heard his wife call out Witness was then in the middle of the street. The hoy was running towards the car and was in front, slightly towards the right. Witness know when he struck tho hoy, and attempted to pul! up immediately. He stopped after going a little over a car’s length. The boy was struck by the centre of the front bumpers. Tie could not say whether the car passed over the boy. When witness got out of the car tho hoy was lying between two and three yards behind the car. ■To counsel for the relatives: It took him 42it in which to pull up. He was only travelling at seven or eight miles an 'hour. He had been a licensed driver for seven years. He was seventy-two years of age. The boy must have run off the grass into the car. Further questioued witness said Ins car accelerated slowly. The boy seemed to run into tho car. He had no chance of avoiding the accident. Agnes Wallace, wife of the pier ions witness, said the horses were at least hallway across the intersection when her husband took a wide turn into High street. She saw no children on the road then. She saw the hoy on 1 \ a second before tho car struck him. The boy was in the centre of the road then, although the centre, she was positive, was clear when the car turned the corner. The car travelled more than a length before it was pulled UP Constah!e Phillips produced a plan of the locality. The Coroner said there was a clear view from Factory road to the railway line. If the deceased had been bowling his hoop, and was in the position stated by Mr lluthveu and his playmate, or. even if he was not in the precise position, a very adequate explanation would be called for from .the motorist as to how the accident occurred. In view of the possibility of further proceedings he did not propose to comment on the evidence. A verdict would ho returned that death was due to injuries caused by being knocked down bv a motor car driven by James Ure Wallace. With regard to tho injuries, Mr lUithvcn stated that the boy was run over. Sr Shore’s evidence showed that that could not have happened, or his chsst would have been crushed. A detailed examination twenty-four hours after death showed that the only marks were bruising of tho thigh anil a severe abrasion of the left temple. Mr Ruthven’s good faith was not questioned, as he had qualified his evidence by stating that from the distance ho was away the boy appeared to he run over.