THE BROAD STREET FATALITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1018, 10 November 1917, Page 5

THE BROAD STREET FATALITY.

THIS TAXI DRIVER’S EVIDENCE. At the Courthouse this morning the adjourned inquest on Francis William Villars, who wtis killed in Broad street by a motor ear cm October 23rd. was re-opened. Air W. (I. K Kenriek, S.M.. District Coroner, presided, and Sub-Inspector MacKinnon i conducted the case for the police. Mr J. ! Ongley appeared for Afr Houlf, driver of (he. taxi. Fred. Moult, taxi driver, of Feikh’ng, stated that on the 23rd of October he was driving two fares to the Palmerston railway station, one of , them was a native woman and the other a half-caste. He did not know what train his fare had to catch, but lie understood one was to return to Feilding. lie entered Broad street at Terrace street, and was going at a speed of from 10 to fifteen miles per hour all the way, but was positive his speed was not. above this. When the accident happened lie was going at the same speed. Witness kept to the middle of the road, and when lie first saw the two boys they were 30 or 40 feet away, right under the trees, on witness’s left side, and going towards the Square He did not notice the boys cross the road, but watched them till Ik; was about level with them, and then took his eves off them. They were then about 20 feet to witness’s left. They suddenly cut light in front of the car and wore only a few feet ahead. Witness slacked up his speed, but had no time to swerve, the car either to the right or left. Ho had no speedometer on the car. \V hen ho slackened up the boys seemed to be going fairly fast, about ball tbe speed of the car, inthe direction of the Square. Witness did not sound ill’s horn at all. Ho did not ask ids passengers tor their names, but took them straight to the station. He stayed at the scene of the. accident about ton minutes, but did not. know that the boy was fatally hurt. He came back later and found him dead. To Air Onglcy ; When he slackened up the car the boys appeared to be safely across the road. If they had continued on then course the car would not have struck the-m. The wind and the bov in front made the bicycle wobble hack towards the car. The front right wheel of the oar struck the hack wheel of the cycle. Ho did not think it necessary to blow his horn, because it was a wide road, and as the boys were under the trees, 20 feet away, there was nothing to give any indication that they would cross the- road. There was no traffic near the scene of the accident at the, time, but considerable traffic on the sides of j (ho road ahead. Witness tried to find the other passenger tliat day, but was not sue-1 cessful. Ho also came back next da\, but; could find no trace of her. To Sub-Inspector Mackmnon: The car i was in good order. He did not notice the' bicycle wobble till it was in front of the car. The car answered to it-s steering wheel quickly. , , , To the Coroner: He pulled up in a. I wilt a ; car’s length after the accident—it would he alxnit 15 to 20 feet. The boys would be j only a few feet ahead of the car. As far as witimes could see. the front wheel went over the boy’s head, but bo was sure both . wheels did not go over him. j Constable Andrews stated that on the 23rd of October, as a consequence of the acci- . dent, fie went to the Post Office Hotel. He | found deceased lying on a couch. There was a mark on his head, a bruise over the right eye and knee. There was a mark of blood on the road, prist the Post Office Hotel, 15 paces from the footpath on the left-hand side, and 13 paces on the right-hand side. The back part of the cycle wgs badly smashed, the rest of the machine being undamaged. The inquest was further adjourned, in order to obtain the evidence of the passengers in the car, who have so far not been traced.