FATAL CAR SMASH

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 9 January 1930, Page 6

FATAL CAR SMASH

INFANT GIRL’S DEATH.

MOTHER’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

That Mavis Barbara, Gray, who was killed in a motor accident on tire Omata hill on .December 24, rues ner clouui tkrouga injuries to her heck sustained in the accidental overturning oi a car driven by her mother was the coronial verdict given by Mi- R. W. Tate, S.M., at New Plymouth yesterday. Gladys Mina Gray, mother of the .child, living at Okato, stated that her daughter was aged 44 years. On December 24 they left Okato in her husband's car, a sedan, which she was driving. Her husband, two children, Mr Sears, and his son were in the car, Mr Gray sitting in the front seat. One pane of glass in the car on the lefthand side was broken. Going down the Omata hill with the engine off she was travelling at 15 to 20 miles an hour. She had her foot on the brake to steady the car. Wlien the car started to go up the incline it began to wobble.. Witness attempted to right the ear, but it toppled over. Tlie car fell against a fence and the occupants attempted to get out. Witness could not say whether there was a small hollow or bank which caused the ear to turn over. When the car turned over she looked for the children and saw Mavis with her head through the broken window and pinned to tlie ground, the other's being uninjured. When the little girl was extricated she was dead and witness went into town, Mr Gray staying behind.

Benjamin Gray, father of the child, said he was a foreman of the Taranaki County Council. He did not consider that _ anything was wrong with the steering gear and he did not think that engaging the clutch would make the car wobble. There was a bank at the side of the road where file car toppled over, tlie fall being about two feet. He secured help to lift the car and free the girl. He considered his wife a careful driver.

Archibald Sears corroborated the evidence previously given. He .stated that Mavis was seated on her father’s knee at the time of the accident.

Rheinhold Gredig, foreman of Derby’s garage, stated that Gray’s car had been found to be slightly damaged on the mudguards and body. On hearing the story about the wobble he had made a personal test of the steering gear, which he found in good, order. In ■his opinion, if there was a fair amount of speed the putting in of the clutch should not cause a wobble. The nature of tlie road might have had some bearing in that respect. As the car was, approaching a. right hand corned the car\ would be on the left hand side of the road and the camber would cause it to tilt slightly. If the road were wet the camber would become greasy and that would have a tendency to swing the back of the car. The attempt of the driver to coi-rect it would tend to create a wobble.