Evidence at Inquest

Northland Age, Volume XIII, Issue 59, 21 September 1944, Page 4

Evidence at Inquest

AWANUI HOAD FATALITY Tha inquest into the death of Alan Alfred Dean, aged 20, opened before the district coroner, Mr. L. A. Mclntosh, at Kaitaia, las Thursday. The young man died at -he Mangonui Hospital a few hours after being struck by a car on the Awanui Road. The accident occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 12. The driver of the car, William Leyson Reese Geddes, was represented by Mr. R. H. Kelly and the relatives of he deceased by Mr. L. Peace. Evidence given by the medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. W. McKechnie, revealed that the deceased when admitted to the hospital was sulfering from two severe laceiations of he scalp, the injuries being consistent with having been struck from behind by a car travelling at normal speed. Sydney Noble, who was accompanying deceased when the accident occurred, stated that he and Tlean had been playing football in Kaitaia on he Saturday afternoon and had attended the Kaitaia picture theatre in the evening. They had commenced valking home to Awanui at 11 p.m., Lean wheeling a bicycle. When a short distance south of the Parish Hail at Awanui, wi.ness said he heard a car approaching from b hind, and he and Dean had moved to the extreme left of the road. Dean was struck by the car and carried several yards. Noble contended that the car was travelling above normal speed. Replying to questions relating to a stationary car near the Parish Hall, Noble said that the lights of this car had been shining toward the oncoming car, but were not bright. William Leyson Reese Gsddes, aged 21, farmer, of Takahue, the driver of the car involved, stated that on the night of August 12, after attending a dance held in the Parish Hall, he had driven three passengers to Kaitaia a: midnight. He was returning to Awanui for other passengers when the accident took place. Geddes said he had been driving at over 30 miles per hour, but had dipped his headlights and slackened speed on seeing the lights of the other car. Tha driver had no seen any sign of the pedestrians and was unaware of their presence until the impact, when he stopped immediately. The witness stated that he had not been in a hurry to reach the Parish Ha'l and had been keeping a proper lookout on the road. Ir. reply to Mr. L. Peace, Geddas said that the poor visibility provided by the road surface had contributed toward the accident, there being no refltc.ion of light on the road to show up any object. This, he contended, was the reason for not having seen Dean and his companion. Both pedestrians had been wearing dark clothing. Heather Elizabeth Deane, a nurse at the Mangonui Hospital, who was in the car at the ime of the accident. corroborated Geddes’ evidence She said she had been sitting alongside the driver, and although watching the road herself, had seen nothing of the two pedestrians until Dean was actually struck. She considered the speed at which the ear was driven was quite reasonable, Constable G. Molloy stated that this was he third fatal accident on the Awanui highway within 18 months. He said that in all previous cases, drivers had stated that they had seen nothing until an accident had occurred, and he remarked that visibility on this stretch of road was notoriously poor. Further evidence by the constable revealed that damage to the car indicated tha the cycle had been wheeled between the two pedestrians, who had been walking on the left side of the road. A distance cl 79 feet separated the point of impact and the stopping place of the car. The bicycle which Dean had been wheeling had no mudguard oi rear reflector. The inquest was adjourned to enable. further evidence to be brought forward.