INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19759, 9 April 1926, Page 10

INQUEST.

FALL FROM TRAM CAR. DEATH OF DAVID SPENCE. VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE. « The inquest on the body of David Spence, who was admitted to the Hospital on Easter Monday suffering from injuries received as the result of a fall from a tram car, and who died on Tuesday, was concluded yesterday morning before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., sitting as coroner. Mr D. Ramsay appeared for the City Corporation, and Mr A. G. Neill for the relatives, and Sergeant M‘Entee represented the police. Arthur Herbert Streat said he was travelling on the front platform of a small car coupled behind another one. Deceased | boarded the car somewhere in Cargill road. He was standing between the car step and the door. At the Kensington cornet deceased appeared to over-balance through the swing of the car and fell off. Witness thought the accident was caused by the swaying of the car when rounding the corner. The car was not travelling at a greater speed than it usually went when rounding this corner. The car was crowded. At the time of the accident there were two other adults and a boy standing on the platform. Had deceased been holdingv on to the framework of the car he would not have fallen off. Victor Buchanan said he was standing on the front of the trailer. Deceased was standing between the step and the door, facing the way the car was travelling. The swing of the car at the Kensington corner caused deceased to fall off. He thought the speed of the car was a little more than usual. The jerking of the car when rounding the bend seemed a little greater than usual. John Edward Baker, conductor on the car on which deceased was a passenger, said he had a recollection of deceased boarding the car at Helena street. At Maitland street he was informed that a man had jumped off. It was not until the car had moved on again that he was convinced of the seriousness of the accident. The speed of the car when rounding the bend was not out of the ordinary. He noticed no unusual swing The instructions were to move passengers from the platform when it was crowded. On this occasion the platform was not overcrowded. William M oolley, chief inspector of the tram service, said he was informed that a man had fallen off one of the coupled cars, and had been removed to the Kensington Hotel. When he went to the hotel he found a man lying unconscious on a couch. Deceased was conveyed to the Hospital and received immediate attention. In reply r o the Coroner witness said the curve at Kensington was one of the easiest on the city lines. On a car going round the bend at eight to 10 miles there was no porciptible swing. The Coroner said the evidence of the two witnesses who saw the accident was clear and concise. The evidence showed that the platform was not crowded, and that the number standing on the platform had nothing whatever to do with the subsequent accident. The accident was caused by deceased not being prepared when the car went round the corner, the sway of the car throwing him from the platform. Had deceased been holding on to the j framework of the car he would not have been thrown off. It was a case of pure misadventure, and there did not appear to be any negligence whatever on the part of the tramway officials. A verdict was returned that death was due to cerebral hsemorrhage caused by deceased accidentally falling from a moving tram car. ===== .