MOTORING MISHAP

Northern Advocate, 16 September 1932, Page 9

MOTORING MISHAP

DEATH OF WOMAN. - - . INQUEST CONCLUDED. ’' > (Special to ‘ ‘ Northern Advocate.”) MATAM AT A," This Day. " ; Tlie adjourned inquest concerning the death of Miss Greta M. A. Sal* mon, of "Rotorua, who was killed in a motor. accident at the Braeside Vcross- . : ing, Matamata, on Tuesday, August 9, ;* was resumed before Mr A.' J. Tong, ,' * coroner, at the Matamal a Court. Victor" Russell . Lloyd, telegraph ' ( linesman, Rotorua, driver .of the truck, , stated that, with a party of seven,-he - , left Rotorua about 7.15 p.m. on Aug* J ust 9 to attend a dance at Te Aroha. ■ /, The members of the party besides himself were: Miss Salmon, Miss Chappell, Miss Rinaldi, Miss Gallag- • her, Mr Crossland and Mr Dusty. They r , intended returning that nigbtr Witness said he travelled at m speed of - , < about 25 miles per hour and reached Braeside Crossing at 9.15 p.m. p •“Near the crossing, he averaged about 25 to 30 miles per" hour. Nothing happened to distract his "mind, ‘. but he did not notice the crossing until he came right on it. Miss Gal-( lagher, who was sitting next to .him, - said: “This is the road,'' meaning'.' 1 that he had to turn to the left. He 1 did not know the road to Te Aroha r>> or that the turning was there. He -j put on the brakes and attempted to ,5* take, the crossing, but misjudged the ,’ : angle of the turn. ; The, truck".leftl^j!^ : " crown of the road,. the • frqi\t .*tvhjy£l : collapsed and the truck overtunifed) Miss-Salmon was sitting to-the left ", at the end of,the driver’s seat. -All were thrown out of the truck except witness and Miss Salmon, "who was, ; crushed. Had it not been, for ‘a; dip. - in the road he thought he coulcf have igot oyer the crossing, all-right.' 'ln his opinion, the accident-was caused through misjudging the crossing ", and s the wheel collapsing.. Witness stated that there was no liquor aboard the truck nor had any been consumed. He , .r had a driver ’s license. -• • *•-• .?■: Dr. Laurenson said he was called to the scene of the accident-about 9.13 p.m. Deceased was suffering severe : : pain and was quite pulseless. There was no. external mark of injury, butt, it was obvious that she was bleeding } •. freely internally. Two blood trans- ", fusions were given, but deceased s gradually sank and died at 12.30 a.m. He saw all the passengers - and' r there was no sign or smell of- liquor ■on any of them. , ' J Lora Gallagher, of Rotorua,. -a passenger in the truck, said she knew the crossing, but had not discussed it with the ■ driver. She noticed" the ■ crossing "when they reached it .--'and- ■ drew Lloyd's attention to it..... She. ; could drive a car and was .certain, that they approached the crossing' under 30 miles per hour. Under ot-‘ dinary circumstances -Witness - thought' ,;~ they could have: negotiated the - ctoaS-' 1 ing at the speed- at Which .they .Were travelling. The, verdict of the ebtoher Was in,- -- ,; hccbrdftlice With medical testimony.*. Itn the coionef's opinion, death' was;fdjj‘C . t to - - ' , - - .. t