KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20925, 15 July 1931, Page 13

KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR.

RICHMOND ROAD FATALITY. QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY. COMMENTS BY TfHE CORONER. "This is a very unsatisfactory case; I am not prepared to say if tho driver of tho car was blameless or not, but I think you ought to prosecute him," said tho coroner, Mr. F. K. luint, S.M., to Senior-Sergeant O'Grady at the adjourned inquest yesterday afternoon concerning the death of Chris Andrew Speer, aged 8 years, 11 months. The child was knocked down by a motor-car in -Richmond Road, Ponsonby, on the afternoon of Juno 16, and died in tho Auckland Hospital three days later. Henry Lawrence Soutlicy stated that at tho time of the accident he was driving his motor-car along Richmond Road at a speed of about 15 to 20 miles an hour. When tho car was about 100 yards from Lincoln Street deceased ran off the footpath right in front of the vehicle. Witness said he swerved to tho right in an. effort to avoid the boy, but failed to do so, th# left-hand rear mudguard of tho car striking tho child and knocking him down. Evidence of Boy's Companions, Continuing, witness said he immediately stopped his car and went to the assistance of deceased, who did not appear to be hurt, apart from a small abrasion on one kneo. Witness took the boy to Dr. L. G. Drury, who examined him and said ho was all right and not hurt. Witness had been driving for about six years. He had sounded the horn of his car shortly before the accident occurred. Christian Sylvia Spear, father of deceased, in a deposition sworn at the opening of the inquest on Juno 19, said the boy had been ordered to the hospital by Dr. Drury. He was operated upon for a fracture of the skull on June 18 and died on tho following morning. Two children ivho were in tho company of deceased said the boy had been walking on the tramway track prior to the accident. He ran toward the Sacred Heart College on his left, but when he saw the motor-car coming behind him he ran back to tho right. The driver of the car swerved to the right and deceased was struck. Both witnesses said they were positive the driver of the car did not sound the horn. The road was quite dry and the visibility was good. "Matter Should be Cleared Up." Another eye-witness expressed the opinion that deceased's hesitancy was responsible for the accident. He said the driver took every precaution and sounded his horn when about five or six yards away from deceased. After hearing the evidence of tho other witnesses the driver of tho car stated that he was no longer nrepared to swear that he saw deceased step off tho footpath.* The coroner returned a verdict that the cause of death was meningitis following upon injuries received by deceased when ho was knocked a motor-car. He added that the question of tho driver's negligence, or otherwise, could be investigated in another Court by another magistrate. In tho driver's own interests the matter should be cleared up.