MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19259, 25 August 1924, Page 9

MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY.

DEATH OF WILLIAM STEWART.

THE INQUEST CONCLUDED. The adjourned inquec-t into the circumstances surrounding Iho death cf William Stewart, who died in Dunedin Hospital on August }0 following injuries received through being knocked down by a motor cycle in Princes street South, was concluded on Saturday before Mr 11. W. Bundle, S.M.. sitting as coroner. .Subinspector Fraser represented the police, end Mr W. Ward appeared for the driver of the motor cycle. Frederick Victor Vane, motor driver on the I'oniu.sula motor service, said he was standing at the corner of Manse street, where his bus was narked. He would be 18 puces distant from Princes street. His attention was attracted by the sound of a motor bicycle coming along Princes street going south. There was very little traffic on the street The motor cycle was pn the correct side of the road. He. thought the bicycle was travelling at from 17 to ZO miles an hour. Thu bus he was standing behind obscured his view of what subsequently happened. He heard a crash and stepped out to see what had caused it. Ho saw the cyclist, the deceased, and the motor bike lying on the street, about three or four font from the gutter. Deceased was lying on his back with his head pointing towards Jetty street. Witness was the first to arrive on the scene of the accident. He did no notice cny traffic on tne street at the time of the accident. To Mr Ward: The bicycle was in his view fer a distance of about 50 vards, and it was consequently difficult to judge its speed in that restricted distance. Ho did not know the deceased. Walmsley did everything possible for deceased after the accident. lo the Coroner: He had experience m nding a motor cycle as a despatch rider in 1< ranee. Walmsley’s cycle was not a hign-pwvercd one. It was in second gear when ho brat hoard it. The rider was probably speeding up with a \iew to changing into top ? Constable Jonner said he took the deceased to the Hospital, and he also examined the street at the spot where the accident happened. Ho saw a mark on the road midway between the tramline mid Jetty street. It appeared to have beam caused by deceaseds shoulder being dragged. Walmsley was with witness when the examination was made. Walmsley said ho thought that was how the mark was caused. When he got into the ta:m-cnr find, thing he noticed was that donawed smelt strongly of liquor or chugs. was dazed, and did not refer to the acci dent. Tne roads were slippery, fhe trust was just beginning Jo thaw. Frederick Victor Vane (recalled) said that ea far as he remembered the road *as i good condition, but the peculiar slope o, the road would easily cause the motor to Walmsley said he was a machinery employed by Messrs John Cbambo£, and Son. He was riding a 22 Hobart rnoto cycle on the morning of the accident. - was proceeding up Princes slieet p • • old Post Office at from eight to 10 miles an hour. His machine was m second gear He did not think lie could tratel much faster than that while m second gcai. When opposite the Grand iheatre he noticed the deceased crossing ovor lruices street from the direction of Barton and Trengrovo'a shop. He was loitering across the road He “tooted” to let deceased know his position. Deceased almost stopped and witness made as it to pass him. D ceased was slightly nenrer the tram rads than the kerb. ’When witness got qn.teclmo to him deceased moved forward tov. aids witness, as if he did not sec him. Witness instantly took slops lo avoid colliding with deceased, but deceased struck witness s shoulder and fell. The machine fell on its left side. It would have fallen m any case. Witness looked round and was surprised to see deceased lying on his back. To the Coroner: He thought the machine was capable of doing 30 miles an hour on top gear, and 10 miles on second gear, but h« hud not tested it. The deceased seemed to hold himself very stiff when walking across tho street He smelt of liquor very strongly. Witness, had not changed into top gear. He estimated that he had 6f or 6ft clearance of deceased when passing him. He could not have been going at more than 10 miles an hour. He considered that the bicycle was under absolute control. To Mr Ward: The engine of the machine was running very badly. John Joseph Malcolm, a motor bus proprietor. residing in Anderson’s Bay road, said he was standing in the front seat of his motor bus in Manse street. He would bo from 20 to 30 yards from Princes street. He hoard the noise of a motor cycle coming up Princes street. He saw the cycle and considered that it was travelling from 20 to 25 miles per hour. Just as the motor cycle went out of sight the back wheel seemod to slip. Immediately afterwards he heard a crash. He then went out into the street ami saw the driver supporting the head of the deceased, whose feet were facing south, and who was lying practically parallel with the tramway. To Mr Ward: He had ridden a motor cycle. Ho saw the motor cycle go 40 or 50 yards. The fact that the motor cycle was making a big noise would not affect witness’s judgment of the speed. The Coroner reviewed the evidence at considerable length. He said ho was unable to accept Walmsley’s statement that he was only travelling at from eight to 10 miles an hour. Unfortunately, there were no eye-witnesses of the actual accident, but (here were several witnesses who testified as to the speed at which Walmsley was travelling up Princes street just immediately before the accident. Mr Vane, who had had considerable experience in riding motor cycles, estimated the speed at which Walmsley was travelling at from 17 to 20 miles an hour. Another witness said it was from 20 to 25 miles an hour. One had to remember that on a quiet Sunday morning the sound would be accentuated, and the speed would consequently appear greater. However, he was satisfied that Walmsley was travelling at a. greater sneod than eight or 10 miles , an hour at the' time of the accident. Speaking as one who had some experience of motor cycles, having used one, he said it was surprising that Walmsley was not, able to avoid the accident. _ There was not the slightest doubt in his (the coroner's! mind that Walmsley _ was travelling much foster than ho admitted. If he were travelling faster he would natimillv have greater difficult in avoiding colliding with deceased. At the same time, be would pay that pedestrians who crossed, streets carelessly were a danger to cyclists and people generally. He (the coroner) must take into consideration the condition of deceased. Ho was smelling strongly of drink or drugs. Tie proprietor of the Gridiron Hotel had staled that deposed had nothing to drink on the morning of the accident. Tho proprietor of the Portobelio Hotel testified that deceased was a moderate drinker. The deceased’s wife, however, stated that it wap rumoured that her husband was a drug addict; nr a silent v.biskv drinker. But whatever it’ was he evidently took something that made him very depressed in the morning, and this would sunport Walmsley’s statement about ilic, way in which be approached him. He would find that the deceased died on August 10 at Dunedin Hosnit.il,, the cause of death being cerebral compression following delayed haemorrhage, ns the result of an' accident he met with on that date. He would also like to toll Mr Walmsley that when he was first asked to state the speed at which he was travelling it was quite improper for him to say that ho was going from five to six miles an hour. Ito (the eo-onorl was satisfied from reliable witnesses that tho speed was considerably greater.