“ACCIDENTAL DEATH"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11047, 2 November 1921, Page 5

“ACCIDENTAL DEATH"

MOTOR ACCIDENT SEQUEL “ITS ALL RIGHT; IT WAS MY OWN FAULT.” THE CORONER’S INQUIRY. An inquest was held yesterday before the coroner, Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of Alexander Clark, 68 years of age, who died in the public hospital on Saturday, October 22nd, from shock following upon injuries received through being knocked down by a motor-car being driven by Charles Henry Bird, softgoods manufacturer, on the same day. Sfenior-Ser-geant Lander appeared for the police ; Mr T. M. Wilford for Bird, the driver of the oar; and Mr W. A. Leicester for the Queensland Insurance Company. Robert Clark, of 34, Sutherland crescent, said he was a painter. He was a son of the deceased. He last saw the accused at about 12.45 p.m. on the day of the accident. He was coming out of the Caledonian Hotel. Deceased may have had one glass of beer. To Mr Wilford: He could not say if the deceased had been carrying liquor in a bag. EVIDENCE OF EYE-WITNESSES. David Henry Davies, a baker residing at Newtown, said that about 2.30 p.m. on the day of the accident he was in a butcher’s shop at the corner of Daniel and Constable streets. He saw the deceased get off a tramear at the centre platform. The deceased commenced to go across the road, when the car had proceeded, but he hesitated and took a f<3w steps back. He looked down Constable street and then saw deceased attempt to cross again, hut almost immediately he saw a motor-car appear, and the next he saw was deceased lying on the road, about 20 yards further on, and a motor-car was standing a few yards further on, again. Witness rushed to his, assistance. Witness could not even guess at what speed the car would be travelling at the time of the accident. To Mr Wilford: He could not say if he heard any alarm sounded, but was under the impression that lie did hear something. Apparently the deceased did see the car, becalutse he stepped backwards. Leslie Faulkner Smith, a clerk in the G.P.0., residing at Daniel* street, said that when working in his garden at the time of the accident, his attention was drawn to the corner of Daniel and Constable streets by hearing a hell sounded and almost simultaneously he heard a cry. He looked up and observed a motor-car which had apparently pulled Up. The next thing he noticed was that there -was a man lying underneath the car. He identified the man as the one he had seen alight from a car a little previously. He estimated that the man had been dragged about ten yards, and the car was about five yards ahead of him. The speed, he "thought, would be about 15 miles an hour. DECEASED’S HESITATION. Agnes Young, an employee of the D.1.C., and residing at Harper street, said she was standing on the opposite side to the butcher's shop at the time of the accident. She saw an old man start to cross the road in the direction of the corner in which she was standing! He got as far as between the two sets of rails when he hesitated and looked down towards a motor-car which witness had also seen coming up the road on the left-hand side. He signalled to the car to proceed, and when the car was approaching the deceased stepped out in front of the car and was knocked dbwn. She had * heard a bell which - had been rung by the driver of the car. EVIDENCE OF TRAM CONDUCTOR. John Robert Penill, a tium conductor, who was on the tram on which the deceased boarded at the Caledonian Hotel on the day in question, said that after deceased had got off the oar he noticed a. motor-car coming up the road on the left-hand side. He noticed that the motor-car' swetrved slightly to the right. He did not hear any bell rung. Deceased was under the influence of liquor when he was on the car, but was quite capable of looking after himself. The motor-car kept practically the same speed as the tram. The deceased stepped directly in front of the motor-car. The cause of the accident, he believed, was due to the hesitation on .the part of the die-, ceased. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR. Charles Henry Bird, % softgoods manufacturer, residing at the Hutt, said that on the day in question he had Mise Campbell and Dr. Fere in the car with him. He noticed a tram in front of him when he turned into Constable street. "When the tram stopped at Daniel street he was about fifty yards behind the tram. He notioed passengers get off the car, but only noticed the old man (deceased) when he was going to cross the road. He was on the left side of the road when he. first saw the deceased, and immediately sounded his horn. When witness was drawing close to the deceased he notioed the man hesitate, and witness made an attempt to swerve his car by going to the right, but deceased stepped forward. As eoon as the man was struck witness applied the brakes and pulled 1 up the car as soon as possible. The brakes were in excellent condition. When on the ground the deceased said: “It’s all right; it was my fault.” Frank Herbert Hildreth, Marie Nixon and Constable Hunt also gave evidence. The coroner found that death had been due to shock, following injuries accidentally received by being struck by a motor-oar.