CROSSING FATALITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1924, Page 3

CROSSING FATALITY

CORONER CRITICISES SYSTEM. (Per Press Association).CHRISTCHURCH, March 7. An enquiry into the death of Richard John Collins, who received' fatal injuries in the accident’ at the Waltham Road railway crossing on February 7, was held before Coroner H. Y. Widdowson. Deceased was driving a dray loaded with timber over the trussing, when it was hit by a rake of trucks. The dray was overturned and Collins was buried under the timber ; and one waggon'. He was extricated as speedily as possible and .sent to the hospital, where he died the next day. Evidence was given to the effect that the rake suddenly stopped after passing the crossing and began to go back very .slowly and without warning. Col- , lins must have been caught by surprise . as there was a porter in charge of the rear of the rake. The engine-driver said that after go- ' ing over the crossing he saw another ' rake of trucks ahead. *He stopped and went back two waggon lengths- and - then there was a recoil of about half a waggon length. He was then informed j »f the accident. I “The question arise? said the , Coroner, “as to whether I .ame is at- ‘ tachable to anyone. It van quite clear ( that the porter, Kerr, who was at the ] rear of the trucks could not see the ( head of the train. That the rakes should move .back without a signal ] meant that a considerable amount of } blame devolved upon the Railway De- f partment. T cannot help but feel that if a proper look-out had been kept this ( accident would not have occurred. Kerr . said, very fairly, that he was not in a j position to give a signal, and could not have prevented anything. That state ( of things should not have been.” ( Under the conditions an open verdict , was returned.