INQUESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 5

INQUESTS

WOMAN’S DEATH KILLED IN MOTOR ACCIDENT. The inquest on the body of Ada Teresa Berry, who was killed in a motor accident at East Taieri on December 16, was concluded at the courthouse yesterday, Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.', sitting as coroner. Detective Power represented the police. David Hannah, a sideshow manager, stated in, evidence that, with the deceased as a passenger, he left Invercargill about 6 a.m. on Wednesday, December 16,, to drive through to Dunedin; After passing Milton the deceased called his attention to a swarm of bees, some of which found their way into the car. The deceased crouched down in the seat to get out of their way, while witness reached around the front of the windscreen to close it. It was while he was doing this that the car ran off the road on the left-hand side. He immediately tried to straighten the car, but the steering wheel would not turn. Thinking the deceased was holding it, he told her not to touch the wheel, but she did not answer, and although he did his best to pull the car around it would not respond, and ran into a telegraph post at the side of the road. He was certain there was nothing wrong with the steering of the car, but he considered that the grass was so greasy that the back of the car was slipping and would not swing round. At the time he ran off the road he estimated his speed at between 30 and 35 miles an hour. He knew he ran off the road at the bottom of a grade, but he had checked the car coming down the hill and had not let it gain speed. He did not know the exact locality where the accident occurred, but it was well on the Dunedin side of Henley. He braked the car as soon as it commenced to run off the road, but he did not change down from top gear. After the car struck the post he got out. He was completely dazed and did not remember how he got out of the car. He then became semi-conscious and later found himself in hospital. He attributed the accident to the fact of the car running into a swarm of bees, and leaving the road while he was trying to close the windscreen.

Christina Mann, residing at the old Springbank Hotel on the Main South road, East Taieri, said that about 11 a.m. on December 16 she heard a loud crash and on looking out she saw a motor car against a telegraph post on the opposite side of the road. She saw a man dressed in a white coat getting out of the car. His coat was covered with blood and he appeared to have difficulty in, getting out. Witness went across to the car and asked the man if ho was hurt, to which he replied, “ I don’t know—see to my passenger.” Ho was too badly injured to discuss anything or to say what had occurred. When witness saw the deceased in the ear she was lying right across the front seat with her head jammed between the upright of the door on the driver’s side and the back of the front seat. Her head was crushed and her face was badly injured. Witness was sure she must have been killed outright. There: was no sign of liquor about the. car, and witness was sure that neither the man nor the woman had ben drinking. There were several live bees on the front of the radiator and

a number of dead ones sticking in It, and although she did not pay much attention to them at the time, she thought that there would be about 20 or 30 bees altogether. Detective Power produced measurements taken at the scene of the accident, and said that when he examined the car he found that it had struck the post at the hinge of the front door just at the edge of the windscreen. The road at this point was perfectly straight. It was a bitumen road, with a slight crown, and the: mqrks of the car were clearly visible. They indicated that after leaving the road the car had, travelled 150 feet before striking the post, The marks left tne road at a slight angle, and after travelling for 71 feet on the grass, the driver had apparently made an effort to pull the car back to. the road. A bumiig .of the grass indicated that the wheels had been brake-locked, but . had not turned in response to the front ( wheels. Witness produced a certificate from Dr Shaw, of Mosgiel, who stated' that-on. examining the deceased he found that she had been dead only a short time. There was a cut on the left angle of the mouth; both her ujjper and lower dentures were broken; there was bleeding from both ears; and there was a depressed fracture of the left parital bone. As a result of his examination he was of _ the opinion that death was caused by an injury to the brain; due to the head being struck violently against the metal parts of the interior of a motor car.

After reviewing the evidence, the coroner said that no doubt the driver had done what he considered the correct thing to do in the circumstances, although another driver might have acted differently. There was no evidence of culpability on his part. The verdict woull be that the deceased met her death through injuries caused by the collision of a motor car in which she was a passenger with a telegraph post on the .Main South' road, near Allanton.

ELDERLY MAN’S -DEATH An inquest concerning the death of William Powell, who died in the Dunedin Hospital on December 23 as the result of injuries received through being knocked down by a tramcar at the corner of High and Cumberland streets, was held at the courthouse yesterday afternoon before the coroner, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.

Percy John Munri, motorman, employed by the Dunedin City Corporation, said he was in charge of a city bound tramcar on the afternoon of December 23. As he approached the intersection of Lower High and Cumberland streets he saw a motor car coming along Cumberland street from the direction of Stuart street. The motor car stopped to allow his car to pass. A cyclist then appeared on the right-hand side of the tramcar. The cyclist was within four feet of the tram before witness saw him. The man was struck and knocked over by the tram, and when he fell he was quite clear of the car. Several motor cars were in the vicinity at the time. The brakes of the tram were in perfect order, and the car was pulled up in about half a length after the brakes were applied. A doctor appeared on the scene, and Powell was removed to -the Hospital. Witness sounded the gong as his car approached the intersection, and he saw no indication of anything approaching. The visibility was not good at the time of the accident, as it was raining. The tramcar was travelling at a speed of about eight miles an hour when it approached the street intersection. James Kinross, motorman employed by the City Corporation, who was a passenger on the tramcar which was involved in the accident, gave evidence on similar lines to that given by the previous witness. He--said he was quite satisfied that the motorman did everything in his power to avoid an accident, as he stopped the tramcar very quickly.

George Moffatt M'Alister, a labourer, residing at Cutten street, South Dunedin, said he was a passenger by the tramcar on the day of the accident. Ho was sitting on the left hand side of the motorman e platform. When the tram reached the intersection he saw a motor car standing near the rails. His attention was then' draw to ■ a cyclist who was travelling south,, and who appeared to have his head lowered. ■ -The motorman immediately applied his brakes, but was too late to avoid an accident, as the cyclist struck the tramcar on the front corner of the right hand side. The tramcar appeared to be stopped within half of its own length. The motorman sounded the gong as_ the tramcar approached the intersection. In the opinion of witness the motorman did everything in his power to avoid an accident. The cyclist was not travelling fast. Constable C. W. Kirk said he was on duty in the vicinity of Cumberland street on the afternoon of December 23. _ His attention was attracted by 'a grinding noise, and he found that it was due to the application of the tramcar brakes. He saw an elderly man being dragged along by-the tramcar with a bicycle near him. Dr Hardy appeared and ordered the man's removal to the Hospital. Traffic was then fairly busy, and as it was raining at the time the visibility was not good. He did not actually see the man strike the car.

After reviewing the evidence, the coroner said that Powell, as was his custom, was cycling through the city, and that he collided with .•the tramcar. The intersection of Lower High and Cumberland streets was a bad ,one. The evidence clearly showed that the tram was expeditiously ‘ pulled- up,-,: and the evidence also clearly ‘showed there was no negligence on the part of the motorman, who did everything in his power to avoid an accident. The verdict would be that Powell died from a compound fracture of the skull, accidentally caused through colliding with a tramcar.

CYCLIST’S DEATH An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Frank Douglas, aged 33 years, a cyclist who died in hospital as the result of a collision with a telegraph pole on the Anderson's Bay road on January 8, was held yesterday afternoon, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Mrs Asenath M'Cluskey, of Tomahawk, said that at the time of the accident she was in a motor car driven by her daughter on the Anderson’s Bay road. They were going to Tomahawk and she saw a cyclist proceeding in the same direction. He left the road towards the cycle track at the corner of Teviot street, and his machine seemed to wobble, and then swerved into a telegraph pole. His head appeared to strike the pole and he fell heavily to the asphalt path. Witness was about 60 or 60 yards behind when this happened, and there was no other traffic about at the time. The cyclist was travelling-at a medium pace. After ■' he fell witness went to him and she could see that he was unconscious. He appeared to be seriously hurt. So far as she could see there was nothing to cause him to skid, but she thought he must have struck a small stone. L • *• > ■

Dr William Brown said that he examined Douglas on his admission to the Hospital at 8.5 p.m. on January. 8. He was deeply unconscious and was, bleeding from the nose, on the bridge of which there was a small abrasion. There were no other external signs of violence. s Dr M. N. Watt, clinical pathologis** at the Dunedin Medical School, said that he conducted a post-mortem examination on the body. Extensive bruising of the nose and signs of recent haemorrhage from the nose were found, and there was also a bruise sabout the size of half a-crown above the right eyebrow. There were no other external injuries. A further examination disclosed a fractured skull. The cause of death was, in his opinion, concussion.

A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.

• YOUTH ELECTROCUTED That death was due to cardiac failure caused by accidental electrocution on January 7 was the verdict of the coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle, SAL) at the adjourned inquest yesterday, morning, on Russell Albert Howes, aged 19 years; Mr Bundle added-that he desired:to paint out to the public generally the danger of using-port-able electric lights in bathrooms or places where they were liable to come into contact with metal.

Dr R. A. H." Fulton said- that: on January 7 he received a v call to the house of Mr Howes at 432 George street;. He went there immediately, and arrived to'? find the deceased lying on a bed, there being no signs of life. The colour of the face was slightly , blue. Artificial respiration was commencedand ; carried on for approximately two hours, but without avail. From his examination and from his knowledge of the history of the case, he was of opinion l that. death was caused by sudden cardiac arrest, due to electric shock. Witness had attended the deceased previously about four years ago -for rheumatic fever with heart complications, and as a result of this disease the heart was weakened, and would be more likely to be affected by a sudden shock. George William Sherriff, an electrician employed by A. and T. Burt, said that on January 8 he examined the electric light and fittings in the bathroom where the deceased met his death. There was a portable electric light, which was connected with the usual lighting system by moving the electric bulb. Witness found that the insulation, between the line partof the switch and the push bar was defective, which allowed the frame of the lamp, to become alive. If a person sitting: in the bath were to touch the metal portion, a shock would be received, and it would be intensified it the person's hands were wet. If the deceased touched the lamp while he was in the bath he would, receive the full force of the current. It was safe to use a portable lamp light in a bedroom or in a place where there was no risk of it coming into contact with 1 earth metal. '

The coroner said that it was apparent that the deceased had been shaving in the; bath, and for that purpose had ' been using an ordinary portable electric light. Apparently the deceased had received a shock from the lamp, and the expert electrician who was called made it clear in evidence that there had been a fault in the lamp. The shock probably would not have been fatal in an ordinary case, but the deceased had suffered from rheumatics fever and was prone to be affected by a shock. It was a distressing .case, and the parents were entitled to sympathy.