MOTOR FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 2

MOTOR FATALITIES.

DEATH OF WILLIAM STEWART. INQUIRY CONTINUED. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of William Stewart, who died in Dunedin Hospital on August 10 following injuries received through being knocked down by a motor cycle in Princes street south, was continued yo-storday morning. Mr 11. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Sub-inspector Fraser represented the police, and Mr Ward appeared for the driver of the motor cycle. Dr Speight said that, the deceased was admitted at 10 a.m. on August 10 and seemed all right fire minutes later. Ifo was suffering from injuries to the head, and was bleeding at the gums am) could give no coherent account of the accident. There were no bruises about the body. Witness saw the man again at 1.30 p.m., and returned at 6.20 p.m. At 630 ho was semi-conscious, and an operation was performed at 8.10. An amesthetic was not used as it was considered a risk, and the deceased was not in a condition to feel pain. To the Coroner; If a motor cycle had struck the deceased when going otherwise than slowly he would have expected to have found bruises on the body. Alfred Walter Brown, licensee of the Gridiron Hotel, said that ho had known the deceased for a number of years, and he had frequently stopped at witness’s hotel. The deceased arrived on August 9 about 9.30, and asked for a room. Witness saw him again on .Sunday morning at 8.15, when ho had breakfast and left the hotel at 10 to 9 fe- a walk. The deceased had no liquor on Sundy morning. He was a very nervous man. To Mr Ward: About 7.30 the night before the • deceased went to the theatre with a friend, returning homo about 9.30 He then went to the commercial room with a friend and had a game of crib. They had no drink whatever. the deceased retired to his room about 10.50. To Mr Word; Ho was certain they bad no drink that night. The man did drink at times, but not to excess. Witness knew nothing of n suggestion that he was addicted to drugs. To the Coroner: He had seen deceased drunk about seven years ago at Dipton, but not since. The deceased had never bought a bottle of liquor from him, and there was no sign of drink in his room when ho left. Witness added that in his 30 years’ experience of hotels a soberer man had never loft his premises. AVilliam Robert Angell, tax driver, said that at. 9.39 a.m. on August 10 he was on the rank at the Old Post, Office. While attending to a car ho beard a motor cycle pass in a southerly direction. Judging by tho sound the machine would,_ if in top gear, be travelling at 15 miles an hour. Just after it passed he heard a crash, and on looking up lie saw a man lying on the road at the intersection of Jetty and Princess streets., Witness drove up to the scene of the accident, which was about two short blocks away. The man was lying 1 flat on his hack his head down tho hill and his feet pointing at an angle south towards the tram lines. Judg. ing from the position of the deceased, who was half wav between the kerb and the rails the cyclist was riding well on his proper side. To Mr Ward; If the cyclist had been travelling on second gear tho speed would probably have been about eight or ton miles an hour. Throe or four men lifted the deceased and out him in witness s car. Witness could l not tell whether tho man smelt of liquor or not. The cyclist had gono about Kjil ahead towards tho gutter after striking the man. Tno road was greasy. The deceased regained consciousness just after they had put rum in th© CAT. At this stage tho Coroner adjourned the Inquest till 10 a.m. to-morrow. DEATH RYDER ANAESTHETIC. THE CORONER’S VERDICT. The inquiry into the circumstances which led up to the death of Mr Edward Coxhead. who died in the Hospital on August 2“ while under an anaesthetic, was concluded in the City Police Court yesterday morning. The deceased was injured early on the'morning of August 2 aa the result of a motor car, of which he was occupant colliding with an electric welding plant belonging to the City Corporation in Princes street South, and was removed to the Hospital for treatment. Mr 11. W. Bundle. S.M., officiated as coroner, and Rub-inspector Fraser appeared for the police Mr H. E, Barrowdough for the City Corporation, Mr W. G. Hay for the relatives of the deceased, and Mr A. C. Hanlon for tho driver of the car. Frank Gordon, electric welder, employed bv the Citv Corporation, continued his evidence. In reply to questions bx Mr Hanlon, witness stated that the five hurricane lamps which were taken out to light the obstructions were used for working as well as for lighting. One light was placed on the rear left-hand corner of the welding plant, one on tho radiator at the front of the plant, ono inside tho screen, and the other two 40 feet away on the north side, whore two men were working. Witness considered that the lighting was sufficient. He had not represented to tho tramways department that five lamps were not sufficient and that there would be an accident sooner or later. Witness had reported that the hurricane lamps were hardly suitable for the work. That report was made, perhaps a month ago. to the foreman (Mr Webster). Web ster’s supervision of the job which was being carried out at tho time of the accident was confined to giving orders. Tho hurricane lamps did not seem to bo suitable for (ho men to work with. Work was carried on till 7 a.m., and after the street lights went out one of tho lamps used by the men working 40 feet away would be utilised for lighting tho plant, being placed about 12 yards to the rear of it. Tho welding plant ws# about 13 foot in width.

To Mr Hay: There was no canvas on the north end of the welding plant. A liprnL shower of rain had fallen aKont 11.15 p.m. on August 1, After Webster had visited the scone of the accident ho procured three or four more lights. That would ho about 1.30 a.m. on August 2 One rod light and three white lights wore placed at the rear of the plant. ” Witness had not stated to Mr Jarman that another ear had given them a. fright that night. He did not inform Jarman that the driver of the car was not to blame. Witness was working at an excavation at, Forbury corner some time ago. To witness’s knowledge one car. belonging to Mr Hay, ran into the obstruction, but it was not dangerous to a careful driver. Witness was not aware that three cars had run into the obstruction at Forbury comer. The Coroner said he could not allow questions relating to anything outside the accident to Mr Coxhead.

To Mr Barrowclough: When witness spoke to Webster about the lighting he thought it might be possible to get an electric cluster, which would be more satisfactory to tho men. To Sub-Inspector Fraser: The electric clusters were regarded as somewhat dangerous on such work owing to the high voltage. The weather was clear at the time of the accident. There was an iron drum with a coke fire in it inside the screen.

To the Coroner; Witness had been on the plant for about two years, during which time the lighting was the same as at present. Tho tramways department used cluster lights when gangs wore working at night. Sergeant M‘.Enteo stated that about 1.20 on the morning of August 2 he visited the welding plant. .Toffs visited the .scene about 2 a.in., and. in conversation with witness, said he had thought the .welding plant was another vehicle and had proceeded to observe the rule of the road in passing it. When the street lights wore on the plant could be seen 300 or AOO yards away. It there were no lights on the plant it would be easily discernible with the aid of street lights. So far as witness could see Jeffs and Jarman were both sober.

To Mr Hanlon; Witness was keeping a good lookout for the plant, as he had heard of tho accident when ho was at South Dunedin. A man sitting in a motor car with the hood up would not see tho plant as easily as witness had seen it. There certainly should have been a light on tho other cornea- of the welding plant.

To Mr Hay: In witness’s opinion tho driver must have been within 10ft of tho plant before he saw it. Arthur Stanley Jeffs, salesman for Messrs Briscoe and Co., stated that on leaving Mr Collie’s house he came into town by way of the tram line from St. Clair. Jarman was talking to deceased and Mr Findlay moat of the way into town. After passing the Farmers’ Arms Hotel witness kept the left hand line about the centre of the car. The, street was wet and very shiny and the street, lights were reflected from the footpath. When within about 40ft or 50ft of tho welding plant witness picked nn one white light, but he could not tell

(.he location of the obstruction whica this was supposed to be lighting up. Witness continued on his track, unci when within about 10ft or 12ft of th e plant the reflection from the street lamps was broken, and witness was able to pick up two wheels of the plant. Witness then thougno it was a vehicle proceeding in the same direction as his car, and ho turned to puss it in the ordinary wav. Witness thought it was peculiar that the light should he at the rear of the vehicle and on the wrong side. When ho was almost level with the plant he noticed a very faint light, which he ascertained afterwards was _ sliming" through tho canvas. Tic switched the driving wheel round and endeavoured to avoid the light. Immediately afterwards the hood and wind screen of the car collapsed. Witness’s hand was jammed between the wind screen and the wheel, but he stopped the car with his feet in as short a distance as possible. He then spoke to Gordon, and they went back to examine the plant. Gordon remarked that witness’s party was the second that had lust about “got” him. 1 ncy vyent to the south side of the vehicle, and witness asked Gordon if he thought that one light at the roar was sufficient to light the plant. Gordon replied that the vehicle could bo seen all right when the welder r\as going, but witness replied that the welder was not going when he arrived on the scene. Mr Borland, Mr Jarman, and Mr Wood field inspected the lighting at the back of the plant. The discovery that the deceased was injured was then made, and the deceased was removed to the hospital. \y itness thought his speed was about 15 miles an ' hour. The weather was cloudy at the time of the accident, and there was a haze over the Oval. When witness returned from the hospital there were extra lights, including a red one, on the welding P To Mr Barrowclough: There was no rain while witness was coming in from h.. Clair When witness first picked up the light' at the rear of the plant he could not see the vehicle. He was about 8 feet awav from the plant before he could tell what it was , To Mr Hanlon: On wet nights the street lights throw a reflection on the roadway towards a person in the line of vision. When witness discerned that the light was hanging on the plant ho could have passed on the correct, side, but he collided with the screen, which wa.s unlighted. To the Coroner: At night time witness generally drape near the middle of the road. The practice had arisen when 'he tram tracks were the only portions of the roads that were asphalted. The Coroner said he knew the practice prevailed, but he did not think it was alwavs a< wis© ono. In' summing up, the Coroner said the evidence was particularly distressing. After reviewing the facts connected with the accident, Mr Bundle said the operation decided upon at the Hospital was of a simple nature, but, unfortunately, Mr Coxhoad suffered from his heart. Apparently no information was supplied to the Hospital authorities to indicate that there was any danger involved in undergoing the operation. It was unfortunate that the accident happened when the deceased was away from his ordinary place of residence, where information could have been supplied by his family as to the state of his health. The driver of the car to which the accident happened was driving along the north tram line, one wheel of the car being between the tram lines and the other towards the kerb. This was a common practice amongst motorist#, particularly at night time. The whole of the road was asphalted, and there was no need to drive between the lines. The welding plant had one light at the rear, and one hurricane lamp attached to the left-hand rear corner of the lorry. There were five lights in all. To anyone approaching the welding plant from the south one light on the lorry itself would be visible, and some reflection might, or might not. have been visible from the light inside the screen. The street at this particular spot was well lighted. The weather was fairly fine, but there had been a shower of rein, and the street was damp, causing a shining light, which was at times rather awkward for drivers. With the street lamps alight, some peculiar illusions were produced. The driver of the car said ho was within about 40 feet from the light on the welding plant when he, saw it, and he did not then know whether there was an' obstruction or not. Ho slated that he was within 10 feet of the back screen when he saw it. The car struck the right portion of the screen, one of the sides of which struck the wind-screen of the car and broke portion of it. The evidence was contradictory regarding the sufficiency of the lighting. The evidence regarding the speed of the car varied. Naturally a man driving at that time of night would not be going at a slow speed, but he did not think he was very much concerned about that question unless the speed was dangerous. He was. however, concerned with the question of lighting. If welding operations had been going on the sparks would eertohdr show a light. Mr Borland bad stated that operations were not going on before the accident, and therefore the only lights were those in the street and the hurricane lamp on the lorry. He thought it was strange that the driver of the motor car did not see the obstruction. It seemed to him that in view of the presence of the obstruction in the street extreme care should bo taken to see that it was fullv and properly lighted. In his opinion the lighting that was adopted on this occasion, and apparently on other occasions, was insufficient. and that additional lighting should be provided. The witness Gordon had said that it wa.s difficult to use cluster lights. That was not a matter for him (Mr Bundle,- to decide, but he was certainlv of opinion that some other system of lighting should be adopted. He would find that the deceased died from heart failure caused hy disease of the heart muscles, accelerated by injuries to the head and anesthesia.