CAR DRIVER’S DEATH

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 October 1925, Page 9

CAR DRIVER’S DEATH

INQUEST AT ELTHAM.

EVIDENCE OF DRINKINGSPEED OF THE CAR. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of David C. Millin, motor driver, who met his death on the Mountain road, near Eltham, late yesterday afternoon, was held in the Eltham Magistrate’s Court to-day before the coroner, Mr F. Iv. Hunt, S.M.

Mr St. L. Reeves appeared for the relatives of the deceased, and Mr N. H. Moss for deceased’s employer, Jitfnes Fowler.

In delivering hie verdict the coronei said it was evident that deceased had been drinking more liquor than he should have done, but the verdict would be that deceased’s death had been caused by suffocation, his chest having been crushed in as the result of an accident, which followed hie rounding a corner at too great a. speed. Chas. Dyke, motor coach proprietor, living at New Plymouth, said that deceased was his son-in-law, and worked for James Fowler, also a motor coach proprietor. He last saw Millin alive at New Plymouth at noon on the day of his death. He could say that deceased was then perfectly sober. Millin had been driving cars on the road between Hawera and New Plymouth for about four years. Dr. Cooper, or Eltham, said that at 4.45 p.m. he received a telephone message to hasten to the scene of an accident on the Mountain road On arrival he found the body of deceased lying beside the overturned car. The body was removed to the Eltham Joinery Works, where an examination revealed that his chest had been etoved in, his breastbone and ribs broken, and his lungs crushed. Death must have been due to suffocation, caused- by the weight of the car resting on him. Witness could not say from the examination he had made that deceased had been drinking, but he could say that there was no smell of alcohol about him.

Allan C. Johnson, commercial traveller, said he was passing the scene of the accident at about 4.30 p.m., and was attracted by the continuous sounding of a motor horn. He saw a car upside down on the side of the road, and getting out saw that there was a man wedged underneath the car with the button of the motor horn evidentlv pressing on his body. ' Witness found that the man was dead, and with the assistance of two others tried to lift the car up. The vehicle was so placed, however, that their combined strength was not sufficient, and it was not until jacks were used that the body was extricated.

James \Vm Pratt, a farmer living close- to the scene of the accident, said he was going for the cows about 5 p.m. when he heard a crash. He ran out to the road, where lie could see that there had been an accident. Further evidence, corroborating that given by the previous witness, was also given by Pratt. Questioned by Mr. Reeves, witness said lie considered the corner to be the most dangerous between Hawera and New Plymouth, but he admitted that lie did- not- own a car. M. Yule, a motor-driver also employed bv James Fowler, said he left New Plymouth at about the same time as deceased, and at Eltham took deceased’s car and went on to Hawera, as there were not sufficient passengers to fill two cars. He returned to E l !tham .from Hawera with deceased- at about 4.30 p.m., where deceased took charge of his car again. Constable Townsend : It lias been said that deceased had been drinking heavily. Witness: Half an hour of deceased’s time between Inglewood and 1 Eltham Was unaccounted for.

In reply to further questions by the constable, witness said that when he arrived at Eltham he thought that deceased was not capable of taking charge of his car. Constable Townsend: What would you describe his condition as? Witness: He was not drunk, but he was very much under the influence of liquor. Proceeding, witness said that he. tcok Millin in his car to Hawera, and was with him there all the time except for a quarter' of an hour when Millin was in Hysons, Foord and Keilar’s garage. He could say that Millin had no liquor in Hawera. On returning to Eltham: witness allowed Millin to get into his car and start the engine, hut told deceased that he was not capable of driving a. car, and suggested that he should stop in Eltham until lie was sufficiently recovered. Millin seemed quite agreeable, and so witness asked Mr. Payne, manager of C. C. Ward’s, to detain him. Deceased had no liquor in Eltham when he returned bom Hawera, hut witness took him into the Central Hotel and asked the proprietor to give him something that would make him sick. 'Witness saw Millin take the drink, but h© could not say whether it made him sick or not, as he left shortly afterwards. He considered this the quickest way of making him sober. In reply to Mr/ Reeves, witness said that on the trip down from New Plymouth, deceased had been twenty minutes late in arriving at Stratford. When he saw Millin at- Eltham he would say he was not in a proper condit’on to drive.

In reply to Mr Moss, witness said that the corner was not a dangerous one for a sober driver. The ear had been inspected on Sunday last and was in peifect order.

To Mr. Reeves •• Deceased is usually a very temperate- man. To- Mr. Moss : Deceased gave me a leason for his drinking yesterday. D. RL Payne, draper at Eltham, said that- ait -about 2 p.ni. yesterday deceased called at his -shop and left some parcels lor delivery in the town. Deceased had had drink, but lie was not drunk. Witness saw Millin again at 4.30 p.m., Yule having made a- request thaifc witness detain deceased. Yule had said: “I have just given Dave a pick-me-up; detain him in vour shop if you can/’ Witness gave Millin a cup of tea and kept him in his isliop until 4.45 p.m. By MiLlin’s manner witness considered that- he was then quite capable of driving a car. Witness would have driven with him himself.

In reply to Mr. Moss witness said that now he had heard of the accident he had changed his mind regarding his opinion of the previous day, that deceased was capable of driving a ear. Constable Shields, of Stratford, said that an examination of the road at the iscene of the accident, at the extreme point of the _ bend there were signs of a nkid mark, which continued faintly for 40 yards, veering to the right, indicating -that four wheels had been skidding and the car had been travelling sideways with xhe

brakes 'hard oil. The iskid marks continued for another 30 yards, where the car evidently struck a stump and fumed completely over. In witness’s opinion the corner was dangerous. The coroner in returning his verdict said that there was lio doubt ■ about. Tt that Millin had been haying more liquor than lie. should have had, although it was difficult to say that he was drunk or sober. A, verdict as stated above was retumedfl.