MALICIOUS TALK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22262, 9 November 1935, Page 16

MALICIOUS TALK

CORONER'S COMMENT MOTORIST " PILLORIED" FATAL CAR ACCIDENT [bt telegraph—own cokiiesfondent] WAIHI, Friday Strong condemnation of the action of certain persons in circulating malicious rumours as to the cause of n fatality on tho Waihi-Paeroa road on the evening of October 26 were voiced by the coroner, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, when the adjourned inquest into the death of Miss Magdaline Annie Rowlands, daughter of Mr. Thomas Rowlands, of Wnitewheta, was concluded this morning. Miss Rowlands was a passenger in a car which striiclc n telegraph pole and overturned. Tho driver of the car, Ronald Victor McCloughlen, a miner employed at the Golden Dawn mine at Owharoa, said that the accident occurred when he was returning from Karangahake Gorge, to which he had taken a supply of petrol for a motorist whose car had run short. Four passengers, including Miss Rowlands, had accompanied him on the outward trip, but he commenced the return journey with Miss Rowlands alone. Trouble With Steering Gear After Rearing the Waitekauri Bridge, near Waikino, witness took tho right side of the road with a view to avoiding some pot-holes, and when he was attempting to swing back again tho steering gear seemed to jam for a second or to, with the result that the right side wheels of the car got over the edge of the road. Witness tried hard to get tho vehiclo back on to the road, but after travelling about a chain he failed to see a telegraph polo and the car crashed into it and then rolled over down a bank. He was pinned in the car and Miss Rowlands was thrown over him and fell head-first on the right side of tho car. Aftor trying in vain to reach the young woman, witness sounded the horn and attracted assistance.^,•: At tho time of tho accident rain was falling and visibility was bad. He was perfectly sober, said witness, and ho was driving , with every care. Walter O. Mac Donald, a taxi driver, jwho heard the nlarm, said he was unable to raise the vehicle had to secure assistance. McCloughlen said: "Don't worry about me, .get the girl out." Miss Rowlands was apparently dead, her head being under the edge of the roof of the car. [, No Signs of Alcohol

Dr. L. It. Hetherington said that tho girl was dead when he arrived at tho scene. McCloughlen was suffering from severe shock, but neither at that time nor later at the hospital did witness find any signs of alcohol on him. The death of the girl was due to concussion of 'the whole brain and laceration of the cerebellum.

Constable F C. Lockie said that in his opinion the car was not 'travelling at an excessive speed when it hit the pole. v ■ ' The coroner said that the evidence wns both clear and conclusive. It had been definitely shown that there had been no signs of insobriety on McCloughlen, and the coroner had no hesitation in - saying that the man had been pilloried in a cruel and unjust manner. There was no evidence of reckless driving and nothing had been adduced to suggest that a verdict other than that of accidental death should be returned. Mr. Wallnutt then extended the sympathy of the Court to the family of the deceased.