THE MOTOR FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6488, 7 April 1908, Page 7

THE MOTOR FATALITY

INQUEST AT LOW]® lIUTT. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. Tho inquest concerning tho death of Mmdooh Gillies, telegraphist, who was killed by being run over by a motor ear in Hio vicinity of Lower lln Lt railway station on Sunday evening, was hoard in the Railway Hotel, Lower Unit, last evening before tho soronor, Dr A. McArthur, S.M. Air C'udhy. J.P., was foreman of thu j m-y. Mr Hordman watched tho proreodingt on behalf of deceased’s 10intlves. Air H. Johnston appeared on behalf of tho owner of tho car. THE MISHAP DESCRIBED. Walter Richard Howard, telegraphist, of Wellington, stated that immediately before the accident deceased was rid.ng his bicycle on the rightband side of the road. Witness was riding on me left. "Witness saw a motor ear about forty yards behind. Deceased, just before tbe car came abreast of him, turned bis bieycl’c in towards witness. Tho car .struck him, being them about seven feet from tbe right edge of tho road, i.c., tho sif?.' on which deceased was riding. Tho car was travelling at from seventeen to twenty miles an hour. After the impact the car travelled thirty or thirty-live yards. At first there was a confused mass whore deceased and his bicycle wore Then deceased and bicycle passed under the car. Thu bicycle came out first badly smashed. The oar was twelve or fifteen yards abend of deceased's body when it stopped. Deceased never spoke. "Witness thought (Lath was almost iilitantancoua. Dr Perry was sent for and was hi attendance within about fivo minutes. Deceased’s hearing was very good—hotter than witness's There would he about thirty-one feet between witness and deceased as they cycled in front of tho car up till (immediately before tho collision. The' soft dusty nature of tho road surface on deceased's slue of tho road might have been tho cause of his swerving, but witness did not think this probable. Deceased did not look behind at all. Witness did not hoar any further toot, but could hoar the car approaching. Tho oar was loss noisy than some. Did not warn tho deceased at any time because ho felt certain ho knew the car was coming. To Inspector Ellison: Deceased's action in turning toward witness was inexplicable except on the ground that ho had not heard the car nor the toot of the horn. Generally, in witness’s experience the driver «if a motor car approaching a cyclist from behind tooted his horn several times The exceptions witness had noticed had been in cases whore a car was equipped with a powerful horn. Witness and deceased were travelling against the wind. Tho toot in this case witness would not call a powerful one. To Mr Hordman: The thirty-one feet space bet\ve«n tho bicycles allowed ample room for everybody? Witness thought the accident could have boon averted had the car been going more slowly or by blowing tho horn a second tune, or (but on this point witness would not bo eo emphatic) tho driver of the car should have been able Iff swerve to the left (admittedly its wrong side) and thus run round deceased, who was riding slowly. To Air Johnston: Had deceased continued to ride on tho right-hand aide of tho road he would hare been perfectly safe. To Mr Johnston; Witness expected that the oar would pass between him and deceased—that all would keep to a direct course. Witness had been riding in the middle of tho road but when he hoard the horn toot he went to the extreme left.

DECEASED’S INJURIES. Dr. Ferry deposed to death having occurred tefore ho reached deceased, who had sustained a fracture of tiro skull and a compound fracture of the .right leg Death must have been practically instantaneous. Noticed the wheel marks of the car, which were very distinct. About 30 yards frem where deceased lay they showed a swerve by the car to the right. Further hack iho marks showed the car to have hi-eu running in the middle of the road.

To Mr Johnston : Seventeen or twenty miles would not have boon an excessive rate of speed on that particular stretch of road. EVIDENCE OF THE CHAUFFEUR. Edwin Barling, chauffeur, the driver r-I the car, deposed 10 the oar being a private one, owned by Mr Goring Johnston. Its occupants consisted of Mr Johnston, Mr F. Grace, and two ladies. The car was travelling fifteen to twenty miles an hour, and was in perfect order. Saw deceased and his companion first when rounding the o. rrer at the railway station. They wore then riding close to one another. Witness sounded the horn when within sounding distance, up< n which Mr Howard went to his extreme left ••

deceased to his extreme right. Witness Mow the horn twice—the first time giving a conple of ‘'pines” and tho second time three lend blasts. The car was t; Irty or forty yards behind when he gave the second warning. No notice was taken of tho first warning, the action of tho riders in opening out being taken after tho last blowing of tho horn. Witness was driving in the centre of tho road. At tho last minute he altered the course to the right, the deceased, when the car was almost up to the cyclists, swerving, as though to cross to tho other side of the road, and witness intending thus to pass behind him. There was no time then to do this, deceased swerving si suddenly, the result being that the left lamp struck the deceased and was broken by the impact. Directly witness saw deceased swerve he applied every brake at his command, excepting the . emergency brake. On striking he might momentarily have cased tho pressure of his foot on tho brake It was a common thing for two cyclists to spread and allow a Vehicle coming behind to pass between. Alter deceased swerved it was not possible to avoid a collision. Witness could have done nothing more than ho did. To Mr Hcrdman: The car was an Atrgylo of IG-20 h.p. Going fifteen to twenty miles an hour it could bo pulled up within two lengths if tho driver was forewarned—that would bw about thirty feet. The car would bo about it’s own length behind deceased when he started to swerve. To Mr Johnston: To make the

swerve and also apply the emergency brake was impossible. Coring Johnston, owner of tho car, was also examined. He said that but for deceased swerving no accident would have occurred. THE VERDICT.

After about five minutes’ consultation the following verdict was found:— That deceased met his death through being struck by a motorcar, and that tho jury are of opinion that tho driver of tho car did all ho could to avert an ac-