WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 145, 22 May 1939, Page 8

WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

FATAL JOURNEY. INQUEST HELD. The District Coroner (Air S. G. HHogg, of I’ahiatua) held an inquest at the AVoodville Courthouse on Saturday afternoon concerning the death of Airs Elizabeth Ann Worley, widow, the victim of the motor-car accident about six miles north of AVoodville, as reported in Saturday’s issue of the “Evening Standard.” Constable L. Skinner represented tlie police. Albert Alexander Worley, aged 31, single, employed in the Public Trust Office, Hastings, stated that his lata mother was aged 58 years. They left Napier for Palmerston North at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, with the intention of returning to Napier that evening. The car, for which he held a license, and a warrant of fitness, was of an English saloon type and a 1938 model. They reached Dannevirke about 10.45 o’clock, staying there for a few minutes to procure sonic petrol and to make a small purchase. At about 11.20 o’clock, when six miles north of AA'oodville, lie was travelling round a sharp righthand bend, and when a short distance beyond the centre of the bend the lclt hand front wheel felt to him to catch on the lip of a watSrtable on the left-hand side of the road. He endeavoured to straighten the car on to its course again by steering to the right, but it failed to respond. A very strong wind was blowing at the time. The ear held to the watertable. got out of control, and capsized, finishing up on its wheels, and at right-angles on the middle of the road. He was temporarily dazed after the accident, and on recovering noticed that Ins mother had been thrown across the bonnet of the car. AVitness could not recollect the exact course of the car. AV lion the latter finished up on its wheels, he was sitting in his usual position in the driver’s seat. He then noticed that his mother was out of the car on the left-hand side of the bonnet of the vehicle, her feet caught by the door, and her body resting oil the left-hand side mudguard and bonnet of the car. The deceased’s head was hanging over the side of the mudguard. AA r itness lifted the body from that position to the road and found that her injuries were such that death must have been instantaneous. He had been travelling at from 25 to 30 miles an hour. A motorist was passing the scene very shortly after the accident and witness asked him to notify the police. Constable Skinner stated that he received the message at 11.40 a.m. TTe forthwith advised Dr. P. H. Alules, and then proceeded to the locality. His impressions on arrival were that death must havo been instantaneous and these were subsequently confirmed by Dr. Alules, who was also quickly on tho scene. AA’itness described the point where the accident occurred, the road being of bitumen and 17ft wide. On the left-hand side there was sft of gravel and on the extreme left a watertahlo of about nine inches deep. The watertable was not of a sudden drop, but sloped in at both sides. There was a skid mark leading out of the watertable at a point 27 feet from where the ear finished up and to the right of the ear. The car finished up 36 yards from the centre of the bend. Before reaching the centre of tho fiend there was good visibility for 52 yards. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was caused by a fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain.