CAULFIELD SMASH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 175, 25 June 1926, Page 8

CAULFIELD SMASH.

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER. MELBOURNE, June 24. At the inquest into the Caulfield railway smash, a statement by the driver of the Oakleigh train, taken just after the accident, was read. The driver said that the brakes on the train acted reasonably. When he approached tho home signal the top of the left-hand arm was off and showing green. It was too dark to see the arm, but he saw the light. A driver, he stated, when approaching Caulfield had a fair and reasonable view of all the fixed signals. When passing the home signal the train was travelling at from 20 to 25 miles an hour. The weather was dull and there was a slight mist. He proceeded as usual right up to Caulfield. After passing well inside the home signal going round tho curve he noticed a red light ahead, and thought it was on another line. Immediately afterwards he saw another red tail-light, and became suspicious. He applied the brakes with emergency force. Tho brakes replied, but he hit the rear of the Carrum train when going at about from three to four miles an hour.

James Hargreaves, guard of the Oakleigh train, in a statement, paid that when he passed the homo signal it appeared to be showing a green light, but after the impact, when he alighted and placed detonators on the track behind to prevent further collison, the home signal showed danger. Signalman Wright gave evidence that he tested all the signals on the afternoon of the accident, and all were in good order. He saw tho Oakleigh train, approaching tho home signal, which was at danger. When the train passed the signal, he remarked to the recorder that the train had passed the danger- signal, and ran to the window waving a red lamp. He watched tho train until the collision. The Coroner committed Hargreaves and another, for trial on a charge of manslaughter.—Press Association.