DEATH FROM DROWNING

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 193, 20 July 1925, Page 8

DEATH FROM DROWNING

CAR FALLS INTO CREEK, DRIVER ABSOLVED FROM. •- BLAME. :V An inquest.was held in the Marton Courthouse on Saturday morning in •connection with the circumstances attending the death of Ernest Farrell Small, who was drowned in a creek at Curl’s bridge on Thursday •as the result of a motor accident, Mr F. C. Wilson (coroner) conducted the inquiry. At the conclusion of the evidence, the coroner stated that he was well acquainted with the corner and always exercised special care when approaching the bridge. The angle formed by the bridge in relation to the roadway was not a right angle, but an acute one. This was rendered worse by the fact that on the left hand side, going off the Bulls road on to the bridge, there was almost a ditch into which a car would most certainly capsize if it got a few inches off the left-hand side of the road. Then a sight of even the top rail of the bridge was not to be obtained from a car driver’s seat until he was within a few yards of the structure, because the sight was obstructed by a not very high gorse hedge. He was aware that cars often passed the turn without seeing it and had to back before they could turn on to the bridge. For these reasons it was necessary, to enable an ordinary car driver to get safely on to the bridge, to not only swing his car considerably to the wrong side of the road so as to give him requisite turning room, but also to drive at a moderate speed at most. He was aware, also, tnat this was not the first car that has been over that side of the bridge. He mentioned these things because, firstly, it is well known how “happy-go-lucky,” almost to recklessness, too many car drivers unfortunately are, and he wished to avoid being too severe - on the ■ driver in the present case. He had specially visited the scene of the accident and he was satisfied, from the wheel track and from the angle at which the car struck the right-hand side of the bridge rail, that the driver did not swing the car nearly enough over to the right before attempting to turn. Nevertheless, he did not say the driver was culpably negligent, but unthinking and incautious. He wished to emphasise this, for it was a great deal too general amongst motor drivers. He mentioned those tilings, also, because it was an obligation upon local bodies to maintain the roads over which they have control in a reasonable measure of safety. in the present case the bridge in question was built before motor cars- were dreamed of and when ten miles an hour in a trap was furious driving. So it did not matter that the bridge was thrown squarely across the stream and not in a straight line witldithe road from Mart on. Had it been built so as to continue that straight line it was obvious the acute angle he had mentioned would not have been formed and the present accident would probably not have occurred. But it would cost a considerable sum to build a new bridge, and it was not fair to expect it. He felt sure that when the attention of the Rangitikei County Council was drawn to the matter they would take reasonable measures to mitigate the awkwardness at the turn and to render the position of the bridge more obvious, even to those who are aware of tlye bridge. With .this view ,he proposed to add a rider to the verdict recommending:—(l) : That the ditch or hollow on the left-hand side of the road e.t the Bulls end of the bridge be firmly filled in and made part of the roadway, and either the hedge there -lowered stiff :Turther or cleared completely away so. as to ,'permit a view of the bridge on approaching from the direction of Bulls. (2) That the top rail at least of the bridge be painted white. (3) That a signpost be erected approaching the bridge with the words “To Marton’-.’ and “Dangerous Corner” painted in large black letters on a white ground thereon. A verdict of death from drowning was returned, no blame being "attachable to the driver. •' " ’' '' ' '