MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1932, Page 6

MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED

Question of Liquor BUT A FAULTY MACHINE. (Per Press Association}. CHRISTCHURCH, March 16. Details of th? accident in which Cecil Clive Middleton, single, 25, of New Brighton lost, his life, were investigated by the Coroner, to-day. The accident, happened in Woolston, at 10.25 p.m., on February 23. A motor cycle was ridden by Middleton and in the side-chair was Traffic Inspector S. F. Napper of the Heathcote County Council. The machine overlook two push cyclists and after the brakes had been applied, struck one cycle. Tire motor cycle was overturned. Inspector Napper and the rider of the cycle was unhurt. Sydney Virtue, cyclist. described the collision and said afterwards that he saw two men lying on the road, and one of them, Napp’er, was bleeding at the nose. Witness noticed a

strong smell of liquor when he approached Middleton, who was writhing. He saw a broken bottle of beer on the road. It was a moonlight night, with clear visibility. Veronica Brooks a machinist, gave . evidence that Napper smelt strongly of liquor. She was standing quite c’ose to him. He was not drunk. George Frederick Ward, a labourer, also gave evidence that there was a smell of liquor from Napper. Edward Henry Condon, another witness, gave evidence that he. did not notice the smell of liquor from Napper. LATER. I At the inquest re the motor cyclist’s! death, there was evidence that frag-' ments of a beer bottle and the contents were on the road after the accL dent. Several witnesses declared that both Middleton ami Napper smelt of liquor but other witnesses denied this. Napper was cross-examined at length. He said that the motor cycle was faultily balanced. When it turned to the left the wheel of the side chair tended to the left, showing that the centre of gravity was too h’gh and too far forward. He admitted having on-o drink jvith Middleton shortly before the collis’on, but neither was affected by liquor. Hhe said that Middleton managed his motor cycle properly, when the cyclists appeared in front of him. except that, possibly, he braked too hard, causing the machine to turn over.

The Coroner found that Middleton died of injuries received whe n the motor cycle he was riding turned over. The Coroner added that the evidence was not sufficiently conclusive in regard to th? speed of the motor cycle, nor did the evidence suggest that Middleton was incapacitated by liquor.