PAINTER’S COLLAPSE

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1940, Page 9

PAINTER’S COLLAPSE

Under an Anaesthetic

INQUEST AND VERDICT. I An inquest touching the death of William Thomas Baldwin, 57, married, a painter and paperhanger, of Christchurch, was held at Greymoutn yesterday before the Acting-Coroner, Mr. M. J. Fogarty, J.P., and a jury consisting of Messrs E. P. Stratford. J.P. (foreman), F. V. Costello. W. P. Boucher and T. E. Johns. Sergeant A. Barnes conducted the police proceedings. Acting under instructions from Mr. A. R. Young, ol Christchurch, Mr. E. B. E. Taylor attended to watch proceedings on behalf of the relatives of deceased, whose home was at 54, Breeze’s Road, Bromley, Christchurch. Mr. J. W. Hannan attended in a similar capacity on behalf of Laurie Hall Wilson, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Greymouth, who was the drive*, of a car in which deceased was in voived in an accident on the Nelson Creek road on December 17. As a result of the accident, deceased sustained a fractured thigh, and his death resulted from collapse whilst undergoing an operation under anaesthetic at the Grey Hospital on December 19.

Dr. D. M. Logan said deceased was adm.tted to the Grey Hospital on December 17, suffering from a frac ture of the neck of the right femur He was conscious, and there was n other injury. An operation was decided upon to fix the fragments of the bone.

Dr. N. F. Greenslade performed the operation and the anaesthetic was given by witness. The anaesthetj was gas and oxygen and was com menced at 9.25 a.m. on December iv. The anaesthetic progressed smoothly and the patient’s condition was satisfactory. At >10.35 a.m., while the operation was still in progress, inpatient collapsed, and despite restorative measures, deceased d.ed at 10.45 a.m. A general examination of the patient before the anaesthetic was given, showed nothing to contra-;ndi cate an anaesthetic. In his opinion, death was due to collapse following the administration of the anaesthetic. It was a bad fracture and in an awKward position. There was no chance of the fragments setting without an operation. Lawrie Hall Wilson, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Greymouth, said a warrant of fitness was issued for his car, a practically new one, on December 16, 1939. He had been driving a car for 10 or 12 years. Deceased had resided at the hotel for about three weeks prior to December 17. About 7.15 o’clock that evening, witness left Greymouth in his car and proceeded to Nelson Creek in company with deceased,- and men named Ogilvie and Mcroney. On arrival at Nelson Creex. Ogilvie got out of the front and Moroney took his seat in the front, and witness proceeded back to Greymouth. It was then about 8.15 p.m. He proceded about 'a mile down the road, and in rounding a bend the car turned straight across the road anu struck a stump. The speed of the car, when it swerved, wouid be between 20 and’3o miles per hour. The car “shimmied” a bit and the wheel just spun round in his hand. The swerve would be for a distance o. about a chain. He had no idea as to what would cause the car to swervt as it did. It was a good level piece, of road there and there were no othei cars in the vicimty. It was a dull misty night. He had no idea as to what caused him to lose control o. the car. To Mr. Taylor: He had had no drinks at all that afternoon, To Sergeant Barnes: After the ctu struck the stump nothing was said except that witness had asked if anybody was hurt. Moroney said he was alright, but that he had cut his lip. L was not until Baldwin moved that he found he had a fractured thigh. • Henry Dalziel, bushman, Nelson Creek, said he was sift.ng on his doorstep on the evening of December 17th, and from that position he had a fair view of the Neison Creek, roan and the bad bend on it there. He saw Wilson’s car proceeding to Grey mouth and it was be.ng driven quite in the normal way, and at a speet. which he estimated at 25 m.p.h. The car appeared to witness to hit th; loose shingle on the side and then it started to swerve on the gravel surface. The car swerved across tlnroad& and went “slap-bang” into a stump. Witness went over to the ca to assist if anybody was hurt. Thv driver was out of the car, and tolu witness one of the men complained uuout being badiy hurt. Wilson sa.„ me best thing to do would be to ring up lor a doctor and a policeman, anc

u-o so. Vv truss agreed witri a pntn'produced, but lie could not saj imng as to the measurements viiercon. 'f he bend was a bad one io, traliic, ana he had seen seven u. eignt cars off the road there in the past six years. IL was a bad bend loi unvers wno did not know the road. They were cases which had apparem ly not been repeated, but the cars had had to be hauled on to tiie roau again. r

To Mr. Hannan: it had appeared l‘< him as though Wilson’s car had skidaed in the loose gravel. It was on its correct side when it struck liu loose gravel. The other accidents had occurred in a similar 'maim r. There was a big slope on the road and cars did not seem to handle'it.

Constable A. W. "Honey, of Ahaura, said he visited the scene of the accident the following morning ana found that the car had left the road, travelled along for a distance, swerved across the road and finally struck a stump, 85 yards away. r £he road was 16 feet wide. He produced a plan of the roadway. The surface ol ihe road was good, but there was fine moss gravel at the curve. The bead was a dangerous one for any motorist not knowing the road. The corner was sl.ghtiy banked to the leitiiand side.

to Mr. Stratford: There had been no repairs to the road since the accident.

The jury returned the following] verdict: “That the deceased died a. tile Grey Hospital on December .in due <o collapse, whilst under an anaesthetic, following a car accident on the Greymquth-Nelson Creek roaa. No blame is attachable to the driver of Lie car. We wish to add a rider tha,., from the evidence given, t->e Hi o . ; ..ays Board’s attention should be drawn to the condition of the road al the bend where the accident occurred.”