CROSSING FATALITY.

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1926, Page 2

CROSSING FATALITY.

COEONTAI, IXQI IRV — INTO DEATH OF MRS WOLSTENHOLME. The inquest into the eireiinistances of the death of Mrs Mary Ann Wo:Stenholme as the result of a collision between a motor ear and a railway engine at Spring Creek Crossing, was resumed before the Coroner, Mr AV. Meldrum, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy appeared on behalf of the police and Air F. A. Kitehingham represented the Railway Bepartu>vnt. Evidence was given by Margaret Wolstenholrne, single woman, daughter of the deceased and driver of the motor car, that she had lived in Blackball for 14 years. During the past four or five months she had been able to drive a motor car. She had driven from Blackball to Greymouth on several occasions. About two months ago she came down to get a certificate oil the Traffic Inspector. She did not get one then and she had not been able to get one since. On the date of the accident witness drove her mother and Mrs Caldwell in from Blackball. They left Greymouth on the way home just before dark. The lights were on flu' car. The deceased and Airs Caldwell wore in the back seat. They mot the Reefton train at Brunnorton, and witness was under the impression that there was only the one down train from Ngahere that evening. Slit l did not think a train came from Blackball that night. She thought, it joined up at Ngahere. Witness was not travelling at a fast rate. Tt usually took an hour and ten minutes to go from Greymouth to Blackball. She knew

all the crossings. She remembered driving the car to as far as the bridge at Aritchell’s Alistake, but did not remember anything of the accident. From the bridge to the crossing wa* about 200 yards. She could not say whether she heard the train whistle or not. She was the only one in the front scat. The first thing she remembered was being in the guard’s., van. The car was in good order at the time witness was driving it. Prior to the day of the accident witness had never been to Grevmouth on a Saturday

evening. She was in the hospital eleven days as a result of the accident She had never had an accident with the car during the time she had driven it.

| In reply to the Alngist rate witness .said it had been drizzling that evening. The two front side curtains were down. She did not remember whether there was any rain on the front wind screen. She had no difficulty, prior to reaching the crossing, with rain on the screen. The road was quite clear and the lights were burning properly. To Mr Kitehingham: She remembered nothing from the time she crossed the bridge. She had driven the car several times from Greymouth to Blackball. She knew the crossing was A dangerous one. William Charles Sefton Moorhouse engine-driver on the New Zealand Railways, stated that on the evening of Sept. 11 he was driving an engine from Blackball to Greymouth. He was fullv conversant with the line. He

knew the Spring Creek crossing. From an engine driver’s point of view all crossings were dangerous at night time. Tin l Spring Creek crossing was at the (md cf a cutting and neither the drivci - nor fireman could see anyone on the road until right on tin* crossing. When approaching the crossing the usual speed was 15 miles an hour. Witness >vas just about right as to time and ho was not travelling faster, lie sounded the whistle on reaching the crossing. The engine was running bunker first and witness was therefore on the left hand side- of the train, on the side nearest to a car crossing from Greymouth. Witness first noticed the extra light on the track at th(' crossing thrown by the motor’s headlights. It was almost the same instant he saw the car and the engine was right on top of it. Witness immediately applied his brakes. The engine struck the car in the forward portion of the engine. He pulled up in about 75 feet. Witness got down to see how the people were and he backed the train until the van was up to where the ear stood and put the injured people inside. Coming from Greymouth the road took a sharp turn to the left at the crossing so that anyone in a car could not see the engine coming, more especially if the car was close up to the crossing. In reply to Air Kitehingham witness said there were the usual sign boards at the crossing. He did all that was possible to stop the engine.

The evidence of the fireman, Frederick George Goetzger, was that the train left Blackball at about 6.5 p.m. Tt was running to time. He knew the different crossings. Spring Crossing was looked upon as dangerous. The train would be travelling about 15 miles an hour. Ou reaching the crossing the whistle was sounded. Witness saw the light of the car almost the same ti’me as the engine struck it. It was quite dark at the time. He could not say whether the car stopped before it passed the line. ITe saw the car on the cattle stops and saw the deceased and the, other lady close by. Miss Wolstenholrne was standing by in a dazed state and said, “What have I done Fred?” He did not think she knew what she was saying.

To Mr Kitehingham: When the whistle sounded the train was more than 100 yards from the crossing. The brakes were applied to the fall extent. The Senior-Sergeant said that Mrs Caldwell was still in the hospital. The doctor was unable to be present to give medical evidence. The inquiry was accordingly adjourned until Monday to obtain this latter evidence. ■