INQUEST HELD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32310, 8 September 1943, Page 6

INQUEST HELD

DEATH OF MR F. PLOWS STRUCK BY TYRE RIM COMMENT OF THE CORONER An inquest into the death of Frederick Plows, which occurred at the Thames Hospital at 5.15 a.m. on August 24, was held in the Thames Police .Station on Monday morning before Mr W. Bongard, coroner. Evidence was given ;by a Whitianga garage proprietor, Leslie Douglas Russell, and 1 by the house surgeon of the Thames Hospital, Dr. W. G. Davidson. Mr Russell was with the deceased at the time of the accident.

Evidence revealed that deceased had been inflating a tyre wjien the rim flew off and struck him in the head', inflicting severe injuries to which he succumbed, before regaining consciousness in the Thames Hospital. The coroner questioned Russell regarding the type of tyre mentioned. “Is not this type of tyre generally regarded as dangerous as far as inflating it is concerned?” said Mr Bongard. Witness: All tyres are more or less unsafe to inflate.

Mr Bongard emphasised that in some places it was the practice to provide suitable guards for men inflating tyres. “If other accidents of this kind are to be prevented,” said Mr Bongard, “this fact should be made clear.”

The coroner found that death was accidental and in accordance with the medical evidence, due to gross injury to the skull and laceration of the underlying brain tissues.