STREET FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12406, 27 March 1926, Page 4

STREET FATALITY

MEAT INSPECTOR'S DEATH

RUN DOWN BY MOTOR-CAR EVIDENCE AT INQUEST Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, March 26. At 8 o’ciuck an the evening of March Bth, Frederick Witty, meat inspector at the municipal abattoirs, was struck by a, motor-car at the corner of North road and Elgin, street, while cycling home, and died shortly afterwards as a result of injuries. The motorist parently did not stop, but drove on. An inquest into the circumstances was held before Mr G. Cruicksbank, coroner, this afternoon, when wit- : nesses stated that the late Mr Witty was in good health, and was riding slowly on the left of the road. ■ He had a light on his bicycle and a reflector at the back.

Martin Horan, labourer, said he saw a Ford car travelling about .30 mites an hour along North road, after dark, on the evening in question. He heard a erksh and saw the car- bump over something. The car did not stop. Witness went to investigate, and found Mr Witty badiy injured. John Dyson Dennison, engineer to the Southland County, said that on March Bth, at 8 p.m., he was driving along' North road, when another car passed him with brilliant lights. He dimmed his lights, and something struck the windscreen of his oar and shattered! the glass. Witness stopped the car, and went 'back to investigate, but it was dark, and he conld find nothing. When he heard there had been an accident, he immediately communicated with the police., The broken windscreen was the only damage to the car.

Ewart Hanna, who .was in the front seat of the car with Dennison, corroborated Dennison’s evidence. He said no bump was felt at the time. The glass from the windscreen cut his face and injured the sight of the left eye. Dennison was quite sober. The inquest was adjourned till Monday to hear the evidence of the doctor and constable.