FATAL COLLISION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 31 March 1936, Page 2

FATAL COLLISION

RECENT ACCIDENT AT APPLEBY VEIDENCE AT CORONER’S INQUEST The inquest was held to day before the Coroner, Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., into the death of Percy Campbell Morris, which occurred on 29th February at Appleby. Senior-Sergeant C. Petersen conducted the inquest and Mr W. V. Fletcher watched proceedings on behalf of Edward Herbert Stephens. Victoria Alicia Morris, wife of the late Percy Campbell Morris, killed at Appleby on 29th Feb'uary last, said that deceased was a fruit farmer, whose general health was “average.’’ On the evening of 29th February they left Richmond shortly after 6 o’clock in an Overland car which witness was driving. They went down the Racecourse road and turned up the by-road past the Waiine.i Dairy Company’s factory. This road crossed the Appleby road at the lactory corner. They intended to go over the Appleby road to Hope. As they approached the intersection the car was going from 10 to 15 m.p.h. The horn was sounded and as s he got on to the intersection she looked out to the right and all was clear. She looked slightly to the left and saw nothing so she went on. She proceeded acros s the road slightly over the crown and her car seemed to enter the beginning of the other road when she saw a blur on her left and remembered no more. She neither altered her speed or course across the intersection. Up to the time her car was struck she had no knowledge that there was any other traffic on the road. Mr Morris was sitting in the front seat on witness’s left. Questioned by Mr Fletcher, witness said that the horn was in working order. Sometimes it would go and sometimes it would not. It was mended that afternoon. Percy James Morris, orchard hand, up to 29th February living at Mapua with liis parents, said that on that date lie was being driven to Hope in his mother's car, his mother driving. He was in the back seat witli his sister, straight behind his father. Witness described the route taken. The car was being driven slowly and the horn was blown close to the intersection. Witness kept a look-out for traffic but saw nothing. The car was a touring car, with no side curtains and he could see out without any trouble. They" were well over the crown of the road when lie saw a bluish blur. Next thing he remembered was coming to consciousness on the side of the road. The other car s’eemed to strike the car where, witness’s fater was sitting. The Speed of liis mother’s car across the intersection was 12 to 15 m.p.h. Dr. William F. Curry, medical practitioner of Richmond, said that in answer to a call he went to the scene of the accident arriving at 6.55 p.m. He saw the two cars, one facing into the ditch, the other further down the road upside down, and between the two cars in the ditch he saw a man lying apparently dead. There were three’ people in the ditch. The woman and boy were removed to a nearby house for first aid treatment and sent to hospital, with a girl already at the house suffering from head injuries. The cause of the death of Morris was a crushed skull, causing extensive brain injuries.

Mary Gertrude McKendry, living in a house at the corner of the main Appleby road and McShane’s road, the intersection of the accident, said that she was sitting in the kitchen reading between 6 and 7 o’clock when ffiie heard a car coming on the main highway from Richmond. It sounded as if it was comingf very fast. Almost at the same time she heard another car coming .up the .by-road. She did not know 'whether it was going fast or slow. She did not hear a horn blow, and was certain that the car on the main road did not sound a horn. Then followed the crash of an accident. She went out and saw four people lying on the road between the two cars. The man was obviously dead. In response to the quest of a man standing bv the big car she called a. doctor. The injured people were treated at her place and later sent to hospital. Questioned by Mr Fletcher witness said that she listened for the bom of both cars as they approached the intersection but did not hear either. She was sure te big car did not sound the horn.

John Grant Sullivan, contractor, of Richmond, was returning from Redwood’s Valley along the Appleby road on 29th February last. In evidence he said that, riding a bicycle, he passed a car 300 yards past McShane’s road on; the Richmond side. Mr Stephens was driving, and the speed was, he estimated later, 38 to 40 miles per hour. He did not hear the horn blow at the intersection. It was an exceptionally fine evening. He had travelled 80 to 100 yards further on when he heard a loud crash, and he hurried back. Witness detailed the scene at the accident. Stephens’ cav was on . the left hand side facing the ditch, and further on was another car upside down badly damaged, facing the crown of the road and on the left hand side. He remained till Constable O’Neill arrived and he assisted him in taking measurements. There was a 6ft skid mark on the road where the collision occurred. From the point where the collision occurred, to where the 'Overland car finished up was 64ft. There was no sign whatever of any brakes having been applied by either car before the impact. The skid was caused by the right front wheel of the Overland. It appeared that the Overland had been turned end for end and rolled over and over. Stephens’_ car had gone on past the point of collision and veered into the ditch past the corner. Questioned, witness said that when he heard the crash he automatically thought of what speed Stephens’ car was travelling at. when it passed him. Witness said that the estimation of speed “grew” on one. Modern cars on that road usually travelled at 35 to 40 m.p h. It would not be possible for the Overland to have s wu ng from the point of contact for a distance and then turned over once, for one wheel was missing and marks would have been made. Jessie Lydia Stephens said that on 29th February she left her home at Stoke to go to Ngatimoti in a car driven by her brother, some time after s ix o’clock. She was sitting in the front seat with her brother. The horn was blown approaching the intersection, which was rather badly obscured on the right. The driver slowed for the corner. She could not estimate their speed then. She did not see the other car until after the accident. Well beforehand the speedometer had been registering 35 m.p.h. That was shortly after they had turned from the Richmond road into the Appleby road, just after crossing the railway. She had no recollection of the crash, and the first she knew after driving calmly along was her brother asking her if she was all right. Edward Herbert Stephens, orchardist, said that on the night of 29th February he was driving a car along the Appleby road. He left home between 6 and 6.15 o’clock. The car was an Oldsmobile Sedan 1931 model, with four-wheel brakes and along the Appleby road he was doing about 35 m.p.h. ’ Well back from the corner lie blew tile horn and slowed down. He saw Morris’s car only at the last minute. When lie first saw it it was entering the main road on to the bitumen. Witness was about the

same distance back from the centre line as the other, car There was no time for anything then. There was a hedge on the right, the trees on the edge being cut back for some distance. He could not say how far back from the corner it was possible to see across the hedge and see traffic coming up the by-road. He knew the corner very well and had been keeping a look-out for cross traffic. In spite of this look-out the other car had reached the edge of the bitumen before he saw it. Witness could not account for the fact that he did not see the other car sooner. He could not remember the impact. He received cuts from flying glass, no head injuries. He could not account for the Overland car reaching a point 64 feet from the point of impact. His impression was that his right front wheel met the other car’s left front wheel. Witness could not see what the cars did immediately after the impact. . / . Witness said he did not hear the sound of a norn of the other car. ' He had been driving for eight years. He could not remember applying the brakes at any stage. . Constable H. O’Neill, stationed at Richmond, said he was called to the scene at 6.45 p.m He detailed the position of the cars, and marks on the road. In the condition the Overland was in it was impossible for it to have run on its wheels to. where it lay. From the point to impact to where Stephens’ car entered the aitch was 25ft. From the point of impact to where Morris was lying was 52 feet. The Overland was bowled over and over to where it came to rest. In reply to Mr Fletcher the constable said that when Morris’s car finished up it was facing in the opposite direction to that in which it was proceedings, but he could do no more than speculate as to what happened. THE VERDICT In returning a- verdict that deceased died from a crushed skull and brain injuries sustained in a motor collision the Coroner said that it would be idle' to say that this tragedy was inevitable, as might have been the case had both cars been travelling at a reasonable speed. Thai- there was excessive speed •was shown bv the fact that the car in which deceased was riding was propelled 64 feet from the scene of the impact. It seemed to the Coroner that there would he further proceedings and it was for another tribunal to decide on the question of negligence.