"PURELY ACCIDENTAL"

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7852, 14 July 1911, Page 9

"PURELY ACCIDENTAL"

MOTOR FATAL ITT. THE DEATH OF FREDERICK: HUNT. “I’aroiy acciclctd.n.l”—this was iho term employed by Mr W. G. Riddell, b.M., yesterday In delivering hi-s verdict at the canvlusiion of tin? inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death oi XTedaitiok Hunt, who on Monday evening wa« knocked, down on Lambtea quay by a motor car belonging to Dr Bwart. The inquiry was opened at tho hospital an Tuesday afternoon aud adjourned until yesterday to permit of further evidence being called. Air K. Kirkcaldie appeared for Die family of deceased, Air X. Young for i>r Ewart, and Air Salek lor tho driver of the car. WENT DOWN LIKE A SKITTLE. The only witness called yesterday was Harry Washington, an employee at the Government Printing Oliicc, ''ho - aid that lie was walking along Lambton quay on Monday evening. Ho saw the- deceased crossing the load from the Arcadia and a motor-car apprea-ehing him. The car collided with Hunt, who wont down like a skittle. Just before tho collision he heard tho brakes being put on and noticed tho car swerving from its course along tho quay and in the direction of tho deceased. vVhen he and others went to lift tho deceased it was seen that one of the wheels was pressing on his thigh and holding him down. The car, he thought, was travelling at from 8 t-. 10 miles an hour. When deceased was picked up ho was -unconscious and breathing heavily. , . , To Mr Kirkcaldie : Ho was about ten yards away from the scene of tho accident. As far as he could see thero was nothing to obefcni-ct tho view from me ear, though the light was not very good. Tho deceased appeared to bo struck by a wheel of tho car on the thigh and knocked down by it. Tho car seemed to bo pulled up promptly. To Mr Young: Deceased was walking slowly and appeared to havo his head down to avoid tho wind and rain. To Air Salek : When • tho car struck Hunt it was skidding along tho roadway, not running. A DUTY ON BOTH SIDES"I consider tho evidence shows that deceased met Ills death accidentally,” said the coroner. ‘'The whole of the circumstances have to be taken into consideration in the case, and while there is a duty on the part of every driver to keep a good look-out, there is also a duty on the part of pedestrians to keep an equally good look-out.” Tho coroner added that the evidence showed that there was not a great deal of traffic about at the time oi the accident, tlie night was dark, drizzling rain was falling, and a strong wind was blowing. There were also tho facts that the driver of the car did not see deceased until very close to him and that deceased could not have seen the car until it was practically upon him. He could only say that while the accident was unfortunate it was purely accidental. The verdict, therefore, would be that deceased died from fracture of the skull and hemorrhage caused by being accidentally knocked doiwn by the car. The coronei said ho would like to add that he considered the motormau was driving at r reasonable rate of speed, and when he saw tho collision inevitable ho acted promptly and did everything ho could to avert it. -