KILLED IN KHYBER PASS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 5

KILLED IN KHYBER PASS.

THE MOTOH FATALITY. DRIYEE NOT TO BLAME. . DARK AND DANGEROUS SPOT. . The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Frank McGann, an did man who was killed by f being struck by a motor-car in Khyber I Pass late on Saturday night, March 1, f was continued before the coroner, Mr. T. a Gresham, yesterday. Sergeant Dale re--9 presented the police, while Mr. Towle was , given permission to watch the proceedings - on . behalf of the driver of the motor-car. t Frederick J. Aldridge, of Monringside, one of the four occupants of the motarb car, stated that the party drove to Epi som, and on the return journey passed t- along Khyber Pass at about 10.30 p.m. ~ Just after passing the Captain Cook Hotel r the car swerved to the right and struck ,£ a man walking on the road. The driver , pulled up immediately, and an inspection 3 resulted in the finding of McGann lying . on the road about 10ft behind. He was . still breathing, bat was unconscious. The „ police were brought to the spot, while . medical assistance was secured about B twenty minutes after the occurrence. The . witness, who had had 18 years' experience 9 of driving, considered that the roa4 was . the most dangerous in Auckland, as it I was very badly lighted.. * An voidable Accident. i ' In answer to Mr. Towle, the witness exa pressed the opinion that the driver could not have avoided the accident. The car, " he said, was travelling at about eight or ) ten miles an hour. f To Sergeant Dale: The car lights were t fairly good, and the members of the party were perfectly sober. 8 The Coroner :If the driver had kept . straight on instead of swerving, wouldn't I the accident have been averted? Witness: I don't see how the accident r could have been avoided. j To Mr. Towle: The man was struck almost at the same time as the car . swerved. Similar evidence was given by two other f members of the party. I , ■ A Very Dark Spot. f Dr. Williams, of Remuera Road, who attended the victim at the scene of the accident, stated that death occurred before his arrival. The spot was particularly dark, as the lighting was very bad, .- and accidents were liable to happen there i- at any time. The witness had no hesita--1 tion in saying that death was due to . the - violence of the impact when the collision - occurred, v Sergeant-Instructor Robert _>. Meechan, 0 New Zealand Defence Forces, in evidence, 1 said that on the evening in question he a and his wife were walking up Khyber r Pass. A motor-car passed them, and he •* noticed that it haid very brilliant head- > lights, which, however, concentrated the r light straight ahead and left the sides of l " the road in darkness. Almost immediately 7 bo noticed McGann right in the centre of 9 the light, about a yard in front of .the 0 car, walking across the road. The car swerved to the right, but nevertheless I struck McGann. The car stonped in its ? own length. In his opinion the accident ' oould not have been avoided. >- Notoriously Dangerous. >, t William Waite, brewery employee, W stated that he saw McGann cross Khyber d Pass as if he was going to Abbotsford « Street. The deceased seemed to be quite k 'unaware of any traffic» and walked* right e into the car, "The witness did not see the r car swerve until McGann was struck, 6 when it went , off to the right. McGann ; was carried along for 11 paces, and when picked up was about four yards to the rear of the car. The spot at which the 0 accident occurred was notoriously danger- ■- our and, in fact, was commonly known as 1 "The Dark Hole.'' ~ a To Mr. Towle: The deceased crossed the s road on an angle, with his face averted t from the onooming car. The driver had e done all he could to avert the accident. 0 The Driver's Evidence. b Charles Hunt, the driver of the car,.was called. He stated that he had been '{ licensed as a driver since September 5. . He had frequently passed the fatal spot, J and had found it very dark and badly 5 lighted. He admitted that it might have been prudent to have sounded the horn, J but as there was no traffic about he had r not done so. .... ~ i- In answer to Mr. Towle, the driver said s that he was travelling at a rate of from v eight to ten miles an hour at the time of 11 the accident, and was keeping a good 0 look out. His lights cast a bright beam e straight ahead, but left the sides of the i- road in total darkness. The first he saw a of McGann was when he appeared directly 11 in front of the car, about a yard away. i- The witness immediately swerved the car n to the right and jammed on the foot y brake, but the man was struck at the same 1 time. McGann was carried by the front of the car for about 28ft, and was ultimately found shout 7ft at the rear of the car. ■* it - d Better Lighting Urged. IB .6 The jury returned a verdict to the effect 5. that Frank McGann met his death by 2 being struck by a motor-car in Khyber te Pass. They considered that all possible i, care had been taken to avoid the acci- ». dent, and therefor© they exonerated the a driver of the car from all blame; A rider y to the effect that more lights should be Q placed in the vicinity was added. 4 _____________