INQUEST ENDED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4103, 21 February 1949, Page 5

INQUEST ENDED

ACCIDENT ON COAST ROAD CORONER’S VERDICT DEATH FROM HEAD INJURIES The verdict that David lan Green died at the Thames Hospital on January 5, 1949, as a result of head injuries received in a motor accident at Whakatete Bay on January 4, was returned by the coroner, Mr J. Hamilton, when the inquest into the death of Green was completed at Thames last week.

’ Two dars, one driven by the deceased and the other by Ivan Launch, of Ngatea, had been returning from a dance at Puru on January 4, stated Bernard Russell Green, a brother of the deceased, who had been in the car involved in the accident, and who was one of the victims. “When coming through Puru we passed Launch's car and went ahead. About this time my brother mentioned to me that he had been having trouble with the headlights,” witness continued. “ I would estimate that we were travelling at about 35 miles an hour along the Coast road. No Recollection “ From that point onwards I have no recollection of what happened, but the next recollection I have is of being lifted out of the car on to the rocks below the road somewhere along the coast. I have no recollection whatever of the car going over the bank on to the rocks. “ There were a few bottles of beer in the car when we were going to Puru. They belonged to lan. Everyone of the persons was sober, and as far as I can recollect, very little of the beer was consumed. My brother lan, who was driving the car, was quite sober and was a very good driver.” At that stage, Mr F. S. Miller, who appeared in the interests of an insurance company, asked whether the car had been in good running order before the accidept. Witness stated that it had been. He asked whether the car’s lights had been functioning properly at the time of leaving *the dance. He was told that they had been. Questions Not Allowed Further questions by Mr Miller were interrupted by the coroner, who stated that he could not allow them, as the inquest was only for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of death. “ At about 12.40 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4, 1949, I left Puru, driving a 1937 model car,” stated Jack Ivan Launch, in evidence. ' “ Preceding me in a 1937 car was lan Green, who resided at Orchard East road, Turua. Green was accompanied by his brother, Russell Green, and Brian Barriball, of Ngatea. “We were driving in a southerly direction along the Coast road towards Thames, on our way to Ngatea. We were about three chains behind Green’s car all the way from Puru. There was an old model truck preceding Green’s car and about five chains in front of him. We were travelling at about 40 miles per hour. “ After we had turned the corner into Whakatete bay, I noticed that Green’s car was not in sight along the Coast road in front of the motor truck, so I stopped our car and then saw a light shining on the rocks of the foreshore below the road. “ I did not actually see Green’s car leave the road and go over the bank. “ Previously I had been with Green in his car going from Puru to Tapu. He then had trouble with the lights of his car. When he had them on full they would go out and come on again when he dipped them. “ Lights May Have Failed ” “ It is possible that his lights failed just as he was negotiating the bend into Whakatete bay. “ Green had had a few beers with us during the evening, but I considered he was sober and quite capable of driving his car,” witness ended. Mr Miller asked if witness knew whether the car driven by the deceased had had a current warrant of fitness. Witness said that he did not know. Mr Miller asked how far behind Green’s car witness had been. He was told that the car of witness had been about three chains behind it. The headlights appeared to have been functioning satisfactorily, stated witness in answer to a further question by Mr Miller. On admission to the Thames Hospital the deceased was unconscious, stated Dr. K. R. Archer, the medical superintendent, of the Thames Hospital. He had had a penetrating wound of the right malar region,

bruising over the right clavicular region, with a fracture of the right clavicle and clinical evidence of a fracture of the base of the •kull. His condition gradually deteriorated and he died at 6.40 a.m. on January 5, 1949, without regaining consciousness. Medical Opinion “In my opinion death was due to cerebral lacerations associated with a fractured base of the skull,” Dr. Archer stated. Sergeant N. W. Baylis said that en* going to the scene of the accident he saw a small motor-car lying on the rocks below the road 1 in a badlydamaged condition. The car contained three men, who were ail seriously injured. He assisted to get these men into the ambulance and had them conveyed to the Thames Public Hospital “ I took measurements at the sedne of the accident. These showed that the car failed to negotiate the bend leading from Whakatete bky to Wood's bay while travelling towards Thames. Marks at Scene “ The visible marks showed that, the car, on reaching the bend, travel-, led on the incorrect side of the road,

skidded 22 feet, then struck the concrete retaining wall which rises about 12 inches above the road level, travelled along the wall for 23 feet, and crashed over the wall, finally coming to rest 50 feet from where it went over and 30 feet out from the wall. All the indications pointed to speed l being the cause of the car failing tonegotiate the bend. “ The corner in question is a fairly sharp one and it would be most difficult to negotiate it at any speed exceeding 25 miles an'hour. The road has been built out to provide more room, and it was on this built-up portion that the marks of the car were plainly visible,” ’ Sergeant Baylis ended. Tail-light Burning Mr Miller asked whether the car’s headlights had been burning when the police sergeant arrived. Sergeant Baylis stated that the taillight had been burning, but the headlights had been smashed from the accident. He had seen some broken bottles which had still had their caps on, and there was a whole full bottle in the car, stated Sergeant Baylis, in reply to a question from Mr Miller. Mr A. E. L. Dodd appeared on behalf of the family of the deceased. The coroner returned a verdict as reported.