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MOTOR FATALITY.

DEATH OF OTTO AAILEHN. COEONEiES FIND iNO JIES ? EBVED. At tiie conclusion of the evidence presented yesterday at the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death on July 4 <>t ■Otto Amlelin, who had been injured in a. motor accident near Manaia on June 18. the . oroner (Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M.) announced that he would adjourn the inquest sine die and would go through the evidence to see if it were necessary to call Walter William Vickery, of Oaonui, the owner and driver of the car, the number of which was taken by an eye-witness. The remainder of the evidence was as follows: MECHANIC'S EVIDENCE. . Albert New, motor mechanic, of Manaia, recalled the match between Opunake and Waimate, and an Essex car being brought to the garage with seized brakes. He remembered a man coming to pay for the repairs and taking the ear away, but lie could not identify him. The car was taken away about 6.16 p.m. by a man who appeared to have had a tew drinks. POLICE INCH iKJEB.

Arnold 801 l ALeiklejohn, detective, ol \(‘«- Plymouth, deposed that tie made inquiry concerning the movements of car 47416 on the date of the accident, and found that it could not have been at the scene of the accident at the time mentioned. On July 11, with Constable Clous ton, he saw Vickery's car, an Essex live-seater tourer, painted greenish grey, standing in Opunake, and found it had damages to both front mudguards, a mark on top of the back right mudguard, as if made by the handle; of a motorcycle. and in the back tyre a fairly deep cut thiee inches long. The number of tlie car was 47614. They found Vickery in the Club Hotel and asked him about the damages to the car. He said they were sustained on June 28 in a collision at Cape Egmont, and that the front bumper had been put in a garage because it had been broken by colliding with a post on his iarm. There were three distinct marks on the bumper, about four feet from the right end. In reply to a question, Vickery said that on June 18 he left the Manaia Hotel at about 6.40 p.m.. and m a statement said lie reached home about 7.30 and had no accident on the road. lie said also that -he did not know about Hickey going to Mourie's until alter he had been there. Near Manaia. on the way from Opunake. the brakes had. seized, and the car had to he towed into Manaia to be repaired. He picked up the car alter the fotoball match. The witness added that he had seen Vickery again on July 16, and had interviewed Hickey in the meantime. The ]esult of the inquiries appeared to indicate that the car left Manaia at 6.40 p.m.. and had apparently bumped the motor-cycle and pulled up along the road and turned hack to Manaia past the scene of the accident. Vickery said: “If I did that T must have been drunk, and very drunk at that.” To the Coroner: He took the statement as seriously made, and not ironically.

Witness continued that lie had told Vickery of the statement made by Hickey, and the. former said that if Hickey said that it must be the truth. He added that- lie could not remember going hack to the scene of the accident or going on further. Witness added that he had had the right hand light on Vickery's car examined — the car had been removed to a garage in New Plymouth—by a mechanic in the garage. The lights both switched on right, but when the mechanic gave the right hand light a slight blow it went out, showing that there was a weakness as compared with the left. The number plate at the hack was on the right hand mudguard. He had examined the motor-cycle and found damages as indicated by Constable O’Donoghue. and saw also a mark like the rider’s heel forced along the exhaust pipe. He considered the break on the carburetter roil Id have caused the mark described on Vickery’s tyre The glass of the lights was crinkled and anti-glare, similar to those described by Cunningham. one of the eye-witnesses.

J XOUKST A I>-J()UPN ED. When the question of calling Vickery was raised, the Coroner said that he was inclined to the opinion that there was sufficient in the evident e to enable lt-.im to make a finding. The number-plate of the car was alone almost sufficient, and he calculated that the chances were very greatly against a man who saw the accident, as did - Bouncy. and under the same conditions, remembering the figures in l.lieir proper order. He did not like to sec a man who might have to stand a trial put through ihc cross-examina-tion of an inquest. He would take the evidence with him and decide i! more evidence was required. Aleantime the inquest- would be -adjourned sine die.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HAWST19270728.2.96

Bibliographic details

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 July 1927, Page 10

Word Count
834

MOTOR FATALITY. Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 July 1927, Page 10

MOTOR FATALITY. Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 July 1927, Page 10

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