CORONIAL ENQUIRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 306, 29 November 1927, Page 7

CORONIAL ENQUIRY

YOUTH’S DEATH. FATAL COLLISION AT INTERSECTION. CASE OF MISADVENTURE. 1 An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding 'the death of Jack Fleming, the eldest son of Mr E. K. Fleming, of Russell Street, as the result of injuries sustained in a collision between the motor cycle hc_ was riding and a motor car driven by Mr Alexander Ross, of Wellington, at the intersection of Rangitikei and IFeatherston Streets on the evening vof November 21st, was held at the Courthouse this morning before the Coroner, Mr A. J. Graham. SeniorSergeant O’Grady represented the police, while Mr Cooper , watched the interests of Mr Ross. .. Eric Kingsley Fleming, plasterer, of Palmerston North, father of the deceased, gave formal evidence of identification.

To Senior-Sergeant O’Grady: His son left home at 6.40 p.m. his motor cycle en route for the Show grounds in order to attend drill. He had been riding a motor cycle for six months. SEVERE INJURIES.

Dr Miller gave evidence as to having been called to the scene of an accident at the corner of Rangitikei and 'Feathorston Streets at 7 o’clock on the evening of November 21. He had found deceased in a nearby hotel lying on a couch in a semiconscious stato. He had wounds on the chin and neck, which might have been caused from broken glass. A cursory examination had led him to believe that deceased had sustained serious internal injuries and he had given him an injection of morpliina. The ambulance had arrived at 7.10 p.m., and the injured lad had been transported to the Hospital where his (witness’s) earlier surmises had been confirmed. About 8 o’clock the lad beeamo worse and he was taken to the operating theatre, but died before liaemhorrage could bo arrested. A post-mortem examination had been held the following day and it showed that the force of the collision had been expended on the right side of deceased’s body. His opinion was that deceased had met his death from severe internal injuries and haemhorrage as the result of a motor collision.

To Senior-Sergeant O’Grady: The anaesthetic had been given and the abdomen opened when death intervened.

To the Coroner: It was practically a hopeless case from the commencement, and the given of an anaesthetic did not hasten the end. Dr. Gerald Ward, superintendent of the Palmerston North Hospital, tendered evidence relative to his having examined deceased following his admission. He had agreed with Dr Miller that surgical attention was necessary. He had not seen the pa,tient agsijin until he' hhd been placed on the operating table at 9.20 p.m. He had administered tho anaesthetic, ether being used. Owing to his state very little had been required to make him unconscious. The abdomen had been open but a few minutes when the lad’s breathing became very faint.. Oxygen was administered, but the breathing ceased and tho. heart stopped. Dr Miller massaged the heart through the abdomenal wound, while artificial rer spiration was attempted. He had not given the patient much hope, but a surgical operation had been attempted—it was his one chance. CAR DRIVER’S EVIDENCE. Alexander Ross, boot manufacturer, of Wellington, the driver of the car, said that on the evening of the 21st, he had been returning to Palmerston North from Marton, arriving at the intersection of Rangitikei and Featherston Streets at about 6.5 D p.m. when he had been travelling at from 10 to 12 miles per hour. The night had been clear with little traffic about. Just as he had entered the intersection he had noticed a motor cyclist approaching on his left-hand side. It had seemed that an accident was inevitable unless he (witness) could alter his direction. He had speeded up with a view to clearing the intersection, veering to his right. The motor cyclist had, however, followed him and* had collided with the car. He had pulled up further on and had returned to the scene of the accident. He had then sought a doctor, but on his return had found one already- in attendance on deceased. To Senior-Sergeant O’Grady: He had been seven or eight yards across the intersection when the cyclist had struck the car. He was of the opinion that the cyclist was travelling at a fast pace. • Witness was travelling on his left side, while deceased had also been on. his correct side. Deceased had turned to the left and had struck the car at the rear left-hand side. He was of the opinion that deceased would probably have got clear had he gone straight on. Witness had been driving cars for 10 years. To the Coroner: Had he not speeded up, he was afraid he would have run into deceased.

Louis Schultz, bricklayers’ apprentice, gave evidence of his having been riding a motor cycle at 6.50 p.m. on the evening of the 21st. He had been approaching the intersection of Rangitikei and Featherston Streets-from the diirection of the Central School. He "had halted some 50 yards from the intersection and had noticed a motor cycle approaching from the opposite side of the intersection. He had recognised the rider as Fleming. Deceased was then travelling at about 30 miles per hour —judging by the sound of the engine. When deceased was just on the corner witness had noticed a car approaching the crossing from Boundary Road, travelling at about 15 to 20 miles per hour. He was .of the opinion that deceased had intended

going straight across the intersection, l'he car had appeared to reach the crossing first anu he was of the opinion that had deceased continued straight on a collision would have been avoided; He had not actually, see.u the collision. He was of the opinion that had either pulled up an accident would have been avoided —both had been travelling too fast. There was a bright sun sinning at the time and that may have prevented Fleming from seeing the car., To Mr Cooper:' There are trees on the ■ north-western corner of the intersection, telegraph poles and a telephone box, which might also have obstructed, deceased’s view. To the Coroner, he reiterated his opinion that both motorists were travelling too fast. OTHER EVIDENCE. Walter Voss, taxi-driver, of Palmerston North, stated that, at about 6.50 on the evening of the 21st, he Had Ins car at the corner of tlie intersection. His car was standing on the corner of Featherston street north, facing itangitikei Street. The first indication he had liad of the approach of the motor cycle and car had been the crash. He had not heard any sounds of horns, hollowing the impact he had noticed the deceased roiling over two or three times. The car had been struck on the left rear confer. The collision had, in his opinion, occurred some sft to 6ft on the Square side of the “dome” situated in the centre of the roadway.' He had also noticed that a bright sun was shining at the time and it might Veil have prevented deceased seeing approaching traffic.

To Mr Cooper: He could not say whether tho cyclist would have got clear had he gone straight on as he had not seen the parties till after the collision had occurred. To the Coroner: He was of the opinion that it was quite safe to approach such an intersection at 10 to 15 miles per hour. He considered that the driver of the car had done the correct thing under the circumstances. Herbert E. Edmunds, motor garage proprietor of Palmerston North, who had been in conversation \vith previous witness at the corner of Rangitilcei and Featherston Streets at the time of the accident, said lie had had his back turned to the crossing at the time of the collision. On looking round he had noticed cycle and rider turning over, the former being to the left of the rider. The motorist had pulled up approximately 75 feet from the dome. He had rung up for a doctor and the police. On his return the injured lad and cycle had been picked up, but he had noticed a pool of blood some 20 feet from th© scene of the collision. He had seen the car-driver later in the hotel when he had appeared quit© normal. Witness had tested the power of the sun, following tho removal of deceased, by standing in Featherston Street and, although the sun had set, there was a glare which obscured the hotel. He was of the opinion that it would have given deceased the impression that the road to his right was clear. To the coroner: Under such conditions, motorists travelling against the sun’s rays should perforce travel slowly. •

THE CORONER’S FINDING. In finding that deceased had met his death on November 21 at Palmerston North from shock and haemhorrage as the result of severe internal injuries, received through his motor cycle colliding with a motor car, the coroner commented that it had been a case of misadventure. Both motorists appeared to have been approaching the intersection at more than a safe speed, but an error of judgment had apparently been made by Fleming in turning to the left instead of keeping straight on.