DEATH OF CHILD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4349, 30 October 1950, Page 5

DEATH OF CHILD

INQUEST IN PAEROA TIROHIA ACCIDENT VERDICT OF THE CORONER The inquest into the cause of death of Christinq Pene, aged three years, which occurred at Thames hospital on October 15 following an accident at Tirohia earlier on that day, was held before the coroner, Mr C. N. O’Neill, at the courthouse, Paeroa on Friday last. Constable V. L. Bagge appeared on behalf of the police. Beverley Pene, of Waikino, deposed that she was the mother of Christine Pene, who was born on October 23, 1947. She was a healthy child. On October 15 witness with her family, went to Tirohia to plant potatoes at her relatives’ place. Witness was on the bank above the road picking puha. Christine' had wandered away down to the main road but witness did not realise the child had gone so far. She heard the impact and could see the child had been knocked down by a car. The child was thrown up in the air and then fell on to the road and finished up lying face down on the left hand side of the road. Witness jumped down the bank and ran to the child who was unconscious and was. immediately taken to Paeroa to Dr. Bartram. Later her child was taken to Thames hospital, where she died shortly before 11 p.m. that night. John Wynard Bartram, of Paeroa, medical practitioner, deposed that he examined and treated Christine Pene, who suffered from severe concussion and other severe injures. The child was completely Unconscious at the time and, in his opinion, was moribund. Her injuries were consistent with, the fact that she had been knocked over by a car. She was sent to Thames hospital. Neville George Runciman, of'Matamata, taxi driver, said that on October 15 he was driving between Te Aroha and Paeroa at about 40 miles an hour. He had two passengers in his car. When about three or four miles from Paeroa he turned a bend of the road and a small Maori child ran across the road in front of his car. The child was about 15 yards away when he first saw her. He applied the brakes. The child stopped and hesitated and then ran on and was knocked down by the car,, The child was crossing from the left hand side of,the road. He had no chanpe of avoiding the child under the circumstances. There were some Maoris sitting’ on both sides of the road where the accident occurred. He immediately brought the mother and child into Paeroa to Dr Bartram and reported the accident to the police. Witness, continuing, said that he was present when Constable Bagge took measurements from the point of impact to where the child was picked up. The distance was 66 feet. He could have pulled up quicker but when he saw the child thrown clear he did not brake suddenly. Len Russell Levien, of Matamata, shop assistant, on oath, stated that he was a passenger in the car. He was sitting on the left hand side in the rear seat. He saw the child when the car was about 15 to 20 feet away. The child seemed to hesitate but she then continued to cross the road. Prior to the accident the speed of the car was about 40 miles an hour. The car was going down hill. The driver blew his horn and slackened to about 30 miles an hour. The actions of the child were confusing to a driver, continued witness, and, ip his opinion, the driver did everything possible to avoid the accident. Allan Alexander Bush, of Matamata, labourer, stated in evidence that he was sitting in the rear seat of the car. When he first saw the child she was about 50 yards away and he thought, she was waiting for the car to pass. When about a chain away the driver blew his horn to warn the child of the approach of the car. She did not seem to heed the warning and started to cross the road. Witness said that he considered the driver did everything possible to avoid the accident.

Robert Te Moananui, of Waihi, said he was sitting on the side of the road where the accident occurred. the child got to the side of the road she looked to her left and saw a car coming from Paeroa. She waited for that car to pass and commenced to cross without looking to her right. She had just got on to the edge of the bitument when she collided with a taxi coming from Te Aroha. Witness said that as soon as he saw the taxi he called to Christine but it was too late. He estimated 'the speed of the car at 40 miles an hour. The road was hilly and the driver would not have a very good view of any person where the little girl was when he came over the brow of the hill. The road was

that he was chairman of a milk board and the people had tod option of purchasing pure milk or the pasteurised milk but he warned (them that pasteurisation was not in itself a solution of the problem of pure milk. It was pointed out that it would be a costly business to put in a plant to pasteurise the small quantity of milk used at the hospital. The average quantity used at Thames was 26 gallons a day.

Nine tenths of the milk supplied in Wellington and other large centres in the Dominion was pasteurised. The balance was not pasturised, said Mr

Kennedy. Mr J. W. Neate moved that toe board approach the Department of Agriculture for advice on the matter and an estimate as to the cost of a small plant to be installed at the Thames hospital. It was admitted in Wellington by recognised authorities, that half of the herds in the Dominion would be condemned if examined! for tuberculosis, 'said Mr Kennedy andi the difficulty of enforcing elimination of affected cattle was in the claims made for compensation by farmers. Mr Neate’s motion was carried by the meeting.