SCHOOLGIRL'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23029, 5 May 1938, Page 17

SCHOOLGIRL'S DEATH

SOUTH ROAD ACCIDENT EVIDENCE AT INQUEST [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] PUKEKOHE, Wednesday The death of a nine-year-old schoolgirl, who was fatally injured when tho bicycle she was riding home was struck by a motor-car, was the subject of an inquest held yesterday by tho coroner, Mr. C. K. Laurie, J.P. The girl was Norma Elaine Fletcher, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fletcher, of Bombay, and the driver of the car was Miss Olive Naomi Dobson. The accident occurred on the Great South Road on February 25. Mr. F. A. Hosking appealed for Mr. and Mrs. Vletcher, and Mr. M. It. Grierson for Miss Dobson. The girl's brother, Noel Howard Fletcher, aged 11, said he was cycling home behind his sister. They were at a point about 200 yds. north of the Bombay-Pukekohc road intersection when he noticed his sister's right- foot slip off the pedal, and her bicycle swerve to tho wrong side of the road. She recovered her balance and had both feet on the pedals again. He passed her while she was still on the wrong side of the road. Then ho heard someone call out and there was a crash. He looked back and saw his sister and her bicycle lying on the road and a car just stopping. Miss Dobson, who is a nurse at the Auckland Hospital, said she saw tho two children cycling on the correct side of the road as she overtook them. As the car was passing the boy, the girl's foot slipped forward off the pedal. She lost her balance and fell in front of the car. Witness applied her brakes at once, but could hot avoid a collision, A verdict of accidental death was returned by the coroner.