STREET FATALITY

Evening Star, Issue 24482, 17 April 1943, Page 4

STREET FATALITY

ELDERLY WOMAN'S DEATH Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., yesterday completed the inquest concerning the death of Emma Cameron, aged 74, who died in the Dunedin Hospital following a street accident in which she had been knocked down by a motor lorry belonging to the Sipeight's branch of the New Zealand Breweries on March 5. Sergeant T. T. Harris represented the police. Mr J. B. Thomson appeared for the relatives of the deceased/and Mr M. Hanan for the Breweries Company and for the driver of the lorry. Dr Thomas A. Roberts, who attended the deceased on her admission to the Hospital, said that deceased was suffering from severe shock and leg injuries. In witness's opinion death was due to shock occasioned by the injuries suffered by deceased and to heart failure. William Bernard Stanley Agnew, the driver of the lorry, said that when approaching the intersection of Princes street from Dowling street in a westerly direction he was on his correct side. The lorry was loaded with empty casks and was travelling at between five and seven miles per hour. Witness stopiped the lorry to allow a tram to cross-tho intersection. Resuming his course, witness was about the middle of the road when he felt a bump. He stopped, and, walking back to the left-hand rear of the truck, he discovered a woman lying on the ground. Witness had no idea where the injured woman had come ■from or how she had got under the back wheel of the truck. The only liquor witness had consumed that, day was his customary two small beers with his lunch. This had in no way contributed to the accident. He had been driving the truck for seven months and had had 15 years' driving experience. Ellen Elma J. Coxon, a buyer at tho D.S.A., who witnessed the deceased being knocked down by the lorry, said it was being driven slowly. Witness had heard someone call, "Look out!" just prior to the accident. She did not consider that the driver was to blame. Harold John Riddle, music teacher, who saw deceased lying on the road, said that the lorry had pulled up very promptly, and he considered that the driver had been unaware of what had happened. Charles Thomas William W.ilson, land agent, said that he saw deceased on the pedestrian crossing. After she had crossed the two sets of train rails she turned to her left'to cross the road. Witness then saw her walk into the truck. She fell down, and witness thought the front wheel went over her leg. He did not think the driver could have seen her. Deceased seemed to become excited and try to cross in front of the truck. . Constable C; E. W. Black gave formal evidence, and the Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, adding that the evidence disclosed no negligence on the part of the driver of the truck.