DEATH OF CYCLIST.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 March 1926, Page 9

DEATH OF CYCLIST.

FATALITY NEAR PALMERSTON. CHARGE AGAINST MOTOR- '* CYCLIST. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION. ) PALMERSTON N., March 27. An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding'the death of Maurice Stewart. aged 18, who was picked up m an unconscious state on the Rangitikei line on Monday evening, and who subsequently succumbed to his injuries, was held before the coroner, Mr Stout, S.M.. The evidence of the doctor who was ca'led to the scene of the accident was that deceased was suffering from a fractured skull. His opinion was that deceased was knocked off his bicycle, being struck from behind. It was mute plain that the deceased had not skidded or fallen off on his own account. John Harold Watt deposed that he was driving to Palmerston North from Feilding on the night of the accident. Near Whisky Creek, on the Rangitikei line, he had . seen a. man either pushing or standing beside a motor-cycle, which, he could not remember. The .man appeared to be going m the direction of Newbury. A little later witness noticed the body of a man on the road. Medical aid was then summoned. Witness had seen broken glass on the road. From his experience. he would say it was the type used in , motor-cycle lamps. . Constable Thom said he nad v'Si-ed a, room at the rear of the Newbury cheese factory, and had seen m bed Herbert Michael Bailey, who was suffering from recent injuries to the head, which he said could be due t.o a fall from a. cycle. An .examination of Bailey’s motor-cycle revealed that the lamp was staved in and only one small piece of glass was left. On the front spring was skin and bloodstains. Bailey also stated that on the evening u lhe fatalitv he had returned from Palmerston. ' After passing Mangaone bridge he remembered nothing more until be found himself pushing his cycle through the gate. Herbert Michael Bailey, who entered the witness-box with his head bandaged, after the usual warning, said that after passing Mangaone bridge, his on.lv recollection was picking himself up off the metal near Newbury factory, a distance of three miles from the bridge. He still thought, he had fallen .from the motor-cycle through skid-ding on the loose metal. The coroner’s verdict was that deceased died from injuries sustained through being knocked off his bicycle by a motor-cycle ridden by HerbertMichael Bailey. The latter was then charged under section 27 of the Motor Vehicles Act that he negligently drove a motor vehicle and thereby caused the death of Maurice Stewart. The accused was remanded till Thursday .