FALL OF 300 FEET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 10

FALL OF 300 FEET

MARAENUI TRAGEDY EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST THREE PASSENGERS KILLED INJURED DRIVER'S ORDEAL [by telegraph—own correspondent] OPOTIKI, Monday The inquest into the death of three Public Works Department employees, Edward George Ashley., Charles Norden and Thomas Hughes, who were killed in a motor accident at tho Maraenui Hill, about 25 miles from Opotiki, on December 22, was concluded before tho district coroner, Mr. F. J. Short. A verdict that tho deceased died as tho result of head injuries received through a car in which they were passengers going over a bank was returned. The coroner added that ho was satisfied that the fatalities were purely accidental. Sergeant J. Isbister stated that on the night of December 22 he went to tho Maraenui Hill with Dr. H. J. Mail. A car had gone over cliffs about 500 ft. high and was lying about 300 ft. down tho cliff. Discovery of Victims About 100 ft. down, they found Norden dead in the scrub. Another 50ft. further down they came upon the body of Ashley and about 100 ft. further the body of Hughes. Tho car was jammed against a tree and was wrecked. The road where the accident occurred was 17ft. wide. The tracks of the car were clearly defined for a distance of 60ft. before it went over the bank, tho marks got nearer tho edge until the right-hand wheels went over at a place where the road had broken away. Tho car did not go over there, howover. The driver had succeeded in getting it back on tho road and it ran along the edge of the cliff for 14 yards before finally going over. Plunge over Cliff The driver of tho car, Edward George Hitchcner, Public Works Department employee, said ho was driving Hughes' car, as the latter had poor eyesight. Hughes and Norden were with him in the front seat and Ashley was in tho dickey seat. Thoy were travelling at about 25 miles an hour when the car started to pull to the right. He tried to pull it back, but after running along tho edge of the cliff it toppled over. He remembered the car turning over once and when he came to he was lying alongside the vehicle some hundreds of feet below the road. Witness heard Norden calling out and ho made his way up the cliff to get to him. When ho had got some way up he found Hughes. Witness thought he was conscious. He continued up some distance and found Norden with a log over his feet. He was conscious and asked if witness could get him out. Witness eased the log and Nordon said he felt better. Walk on Broken Ankle

He saw Ashley lying on one side among the fern, but he did not go to him, but made his way to the top of the cliff. Witness walked downhill a short distance and met a lorry driver named Dobbs. Witness then returned to the scene of the accident with Dobbs and remembered trying to go down the cliff. He did not remember anything after that. His injuries consisted of broken ribs, a fractured left wrist and right ankle and severe bruising to face and body. After thinking the matter over he was of the opinion that what caused the car to pull to the right at that point was perhaps a right-hand tyre getting punctured and suddenly deflating. Ab far as he could remember he was not blinded by the sun. He had a driver's licence and the car had a certificate of fitness.