SOUTHLAND MOTOR FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7335, 13 January 1911, Page 6

SOUTHLAND MOTOR FATALITY

collision purely accidental. A DANGEROUS CROSSING REQUIRING REMEDY. PEESS ASSOCIATION. ” INA 7 ERARGILL. January 12. An inquest was held to-day touching tho death of Dr Fullarton and tho child Florence Dora Martin, tho victims of yesterday’s motor collision with a train.’ Inspector Mitchell, in addressing the jury, said that the position seemed to be that Guard Jones was signalling Dr Fullarton on the left and a man named Connell was signalling him immediately in front, whilst from about twenty paces from the line Dr Fullarton would have had an unobstructed, view to the right. In that particular instance it would seem that the motor-car party could not have been better warned, but at the. same time he left it to the jury to say whether it was desirable that additional precautions should he provided at the crossing. Thomas Jones, guard on the outgoing train to Orepuki, stated that at the time’ of the accident he was at AA’allacetown junction, standing at the points near the crossing, about twenty-two yards from the middle of the road, when he saw the motor car. It was about twenty yards from tho railway line, and,he estimated its speed at twenty-five miles an hour. At the time he saw the car the engine ci the incoming train was about twenty yards from the cattle stop. He put up his hands and called out to the occupants of the car, but the crash occurred. almost immediately. The car was travelling in the middle of the road. In his opinion the speed of the car was never altered. At the spot he first saw the motor car the view of the line would be obstructed from tho road by a blacksmith’s shop. He believed that Dr Fullarton, who was driving the car, was looking ahead. He thought tho doctor must have seen a man, Connell, waving his hands, and the impression he (witness) formed was that the doctor saw the train and attempted to get across the-line in front of it. He was an eyewitness of the collision of the motor car with the engine. The car was smashed to pieces, and the occupants were all thrown out into the cattle pit and by the side of the line. Assistance was

uickiy forthcoming, and the injured people were put into the guard’s van and sent to the hospital. Tho doctor was bleeding from tho mouth. and no so, and was barely alive. The girl Dora Martin was apparently dead. The driver of tho colliding train said ho whistled twice—once about 350 yards and again about 200 yards from the crossing. Ho did not see the car as he was on tho opposite side of the engine. The fireman oh this train said he saw tho car when only a couple of yards from the train. The crossing was considered a dangerous approach, amongst railway men. Other evidence was given as to the dangerous nature of tho crossing. The jury found, that the .deaths were due to the collision of the motor car with the train, no blame being attachable to anyone. They added a rider that to minimise the risk of accident the Railway Department should remove a high bank on tho side of the line near the crossing. '