RUN DOWN BY CAR

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 24 May 1932, Page 7

RUN DOWN BY CAR

MAIN ROAD FATALITY. INQUEST AT WANGANUI. <{ lt was a sad and unfortunate accident,” said Mr J. H. Salmon, -S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui yesterday afternoon, when inquiring into the circumstances surrounding the death of John Thomas Connell, who was knocked down and killed by a motor-car driven by Edward Wiliam Francis on the Great North Road on May 13. Mr Salmon said that the cause of death was a fracture of the right side of the skull and a fracture of the neck, accidentally sustained by Connell being run into by the motorcar. He did not think that the evidence disclosed any negligence on the part of Francis. In giving his verdict, Mr Salmon said that the evidence showed that Connell had been walking towards Wanganui on or near to the edge of the bitumen on his left-hand side of the road. A car came towards him from Wanganui on its proper side with its headlights full on. At the same time the car driven by Francis was coining towards Wanganui, also on its proper side of the road, with its headlights full on. In passing the other ear Francis was temporarily unable to see owing to the dazzling headlights of the other car. Immediately after that vehicle Francis saw Connell directly in front of him, too close to avoid an accident. Mr Salmon stated that it was desirable to stress for the benefit of pedestrians using country roads where there were no footpaths and which roads were used by fast-moving motor traffic, -that the old rule of the road for pedestrians in such cases was to keep to the right-hand side of the road. In that manner they would be facing the oncoming traffic and would have little risk of injury from it, while, with regard to traffic overtaking -them, such traffic v'ould, of course, keep to its left, or proper, side of the road. Mr Salmon said that the rule w 7 as -to be found in many text-books and the desirability of observing it, particularly at night, would be apparent.— “Chronicle. ”