RECENT FATAL ACCIDENT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 48, 9 February 1920, Page 5

RECENT FATAL ACCIDENT.

ON TANGOIO ROAD.

COUNTY OVERSEER’S REPORT.

At to-day’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council, the following report; was submitted by the county overseer (Mr D. Evans) of tbe road where the recent accident occurred, in which Mr Ritchie lost his lire by a motor-car going over • the side of the road:—

“During my inspection of the Waikare rttuuig, I paid a visit to the scene of Saturday’s accident where a motor-car owned hy the Aard Taxi Service left the road and rolled down a gully. Owmg to tne report in the morning paper I paid particular attention to the formation of the road in this vicinity (which is about threequarters of a mile on the Tangoio side oi Mr. S. Bennett’s homestead on the langoio Settlement road). • “'the road was graded last year with a camber jn the centre, and the greater portion or the road is still in good repair, including the road at tne place wliere the accident occurred. At this locality there is a slight corner —the road being 18 feet wide —and .where the car overturned, about 35 feet past the corner, the road is io feet with a camber in the centre. The marks of the wneels of the car at side of road show that the car passed round the corner about o feet from inside of road and clear of any obstruction on the road (which amounts to two small pieces ot earth, in all four shovels full, which are tying near the bank at inside of road), and then took a little more than a half left turn instead of inclining to the right in the direction of the road. “The surface of the road to-day shows no sign of the car skidding, but shows that the car travelled (after the half left turn towards the outside of the road) a distance of about 12 feet without skidding, the inside wheel track being clearly defined. It was the sudden turn to the left which caused the accident, and not obstruction on the road as the public have been given to understand by the report of the accident in the papers.” The chairman said that, according to the plan and the report of the overseer, the car did not skid. It looked to him (the chairman) that the steering gear must have gone wrong. Mr Crosse thought an independent investigation should be made. It was decided to ask the Government Engineer to report further on the matter..