STREET FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12652, 12 January 1927, Page 6

STREET FATALITY

Adelaide road accident INQUEST ON VICTIM. . “We feel that children should be instructed more about traffic by their parents and before they leave school,” said Mr W. J. Turrall, foreman of tiie jury or four which was present at the inquest held yesterday morning at the Magistrate s Court to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death ot Roy Hardmge McCullough, aged four years who died at the public hospital on the morning of December f” rd > as the result of being knocked aown by a motor-car driven by Dr T L. Paget. Mr J, W. Ellison, J.P., was the coroner, and Senior-Sergeant Butler conducted the inquiry. n ,' D , r u L. Button, a house surgeon at the hospital, stated that he and Dr Lsher performed an operation on the ,Y as br ° u K*>t into the hospital at 7.45 p.m. on December 22nd in an unconscious state. In his opmion, death was due to a fractured ti uudrojuries to the brain. , ■ .Lynch, pathologist to the hospital, said that he conducted a post-mortem examination of the deceased, and concluded that death was due to haemorrhage and laceration of the skul”’ together with a fracture of

O'r Martha McCullough, mother of the deceased, stated that on December (Uf? she was walking along Adelaide road not far from her home, when she saw -a motor-car containing a man a ~ n rY and a boy coming towa’rds T” r Tt was on the left-hand side. As she Was walking along she saw her chlldrei \ including deceased, standing on the opposite side. She then saw deceased leave the other two and run across tho road. The bov appeared to run in front of the car and then immediately fall back on the road. After that she could hear the grinding ot brakes, the car going some distance before gulling up. The boy was token into her house, and the driver, Dr Paget, rendered all possible assistance, the child was subsequently taken to the hospital. n J - . b'- B. Stevenson (for Dr 1 aget): Did you say to the doctor on two occasions that it was not his fault?

Witness: Yes. No one would run a child or even a dog in cold blood. The car went straight on, and aid not even swerve. AVitness was convinced that the doctor did not see tne child. The car was travelling at a reasonable speed. - nr? Baget stated that at about 7.20 p.m. on December 22nd he was driving along Adelaide road on his correct side of tho road at a speed of approximately 20 miles per hour. His wife and Ins son were in the car with him. As he came over the rise, lie got a general view of the whole road, winch was quite clear. When approaching .Chilka street he swerved slightly, his attention being fixed on the corner °u street. Just before reaching the corner his wife screanved. There was nothing visible in front of him. As lio raised his eyes he saw a small child running towards the car with his head down. The child was about two or three feet from the car. In a fraction of a second the extreme corner of th© mud-guard hit the child. The moment witness saw the child he applied the brakes, and stopped the car as quickly as possible. When he went back, the child was lying in between the train rails. He took the bov to the hospital. Measurements were later taken at the scene of the accident. Annie Margaret Paget, wife of Dr Paget, gave corroborative evidence. Constable Harding said that he made measurements at the scene of the accident and found that the car had skidded 53 feet from the spot where it had struck the child.

H. G. Hudson, a traffic inspector, said that on. December 23rd lit? tested the brakes of Dr Paget’s car, and vlien travelling at 22 miles per rrur, he pulled up in 82 feet. Twenty miles per hour is the maximum speed allowed by the by-law. Witness v*ss of opinion that Dr Paget could net have been travelling more than 20 miles per hour.

A verdict of death from injuries accidentally received was returned. no blame being attachable to i'r Paget. The jury expressed sympathy Vi.-h Dr Paget and Mrs McCullough.