MOTOR FATALITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21668, 11 June 1932, Page 7

MOTOR FATALITY

FRANK BORLASE’S DEATH EVIDENCE AT INQUEST EXCESSIVE SPEED OE CYCLIST. In the Magistate’s Courtroom yesterday afternoon Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., held an inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Frank Ronald Borlase, who died as the result of injuries received in a collision between two motor bicycles in George street on the evening of Saturday, May 21. Sergeant Boulton represented the police. The deceased was accompanied on his motor cycle by a companion, and the other motor cycle was driven by William Edgar Adams, a student, who had a lady as a pillion rider. Counsel appeared for William Edgar Adams, rider of one of the cycles, and for the relatives of the deceased. William Edgar Adams, medical student, Otago University, said that on the evening of Saturday, May 21, he was riding a motor cycle, with a lady pillion rider, along St. David street, travelling in a westerly direction. The time was a little after 6 o’clock. It was witness’s intention to proceed up Park street after crossing George street. He had a lighted lamp on his cycle. On approaching the intersection of George street and St. David street he looked up and down George street and could not See any lights. After that he remembered nothing until he come to in the fruit shop at the foot of Park street. He could not say at what speed he was travelling, but he was slowing down. He was on the left-hand side of St. David street. He had been riding a motor cycle about a fortnight before the accident, but he had no license to drive. On approaching the intersection he did not sound a warning. To witness’s counsel: There was a street light at Fogg’s corner. No approaching vehicle was visible to him as he entered George street. He had learned since that the accident took place near Fogg’s corner, when he was practically across the intersection. To counsel for the relatives of the deceased: The lamp witness carried was worked by a dynamo on the front wheel. He could not say whether it had a reflector. motor belonged to his brother. When coming to the intersection he did not hear another machine approaching. Ira Grant, salesman, said that on the evening of May 21 last he drove his motor ear into St, David street, travelling in an easterly direction, between George street and King street. He noticed a motor cycle with two passengers on the opposite side of the road, going towards George street. The cycle was travelling slowly, perhaps 10 or 12 miles an hour, and well oyer on its correct side. He noticed a light on the cycle. It was not a brilliant light. When he was opposite Prospect House he saw, in the mirror of his car, a motor cycle lying on the road, not far from the fruit shop in George street. He went back, and he then saw that a collision had occurred between two motor cycles. He gave what assistance he could. To counsel for the relatives .of the deceased: The light on Adams’s cycle varied according to the speed of the machine. Lex Russell Wilson, aged 13 years, residing at Anderson’s Bay, said he witnessed the accident. He was standing close to No. 97 George street, walking northwards, when he saw a motor cycle coming along George street behind him. He was proceeding to No. 97. His attention was drawn to the cycle by its speed. There were two men on it. He did not see a light on the cycle. Witness then saw another motor cycle crossing George street, travelling very slowly. The bicycle travelling north hit the other cycle broadside on. The bicycles were then near the shop. Witness saw that several persons had been injured. Witness thought the bicycle travelling north was going at 40 miles an hour. The coroner said it was not reasonable to expect the boy to say at what speed the cycle was travelling. All he could say was that it was going very fast. In reply to another question, witness said the cycle travelling northward was making a noise. Sergeant Boulton pointed out that No. 97 George street was near St. Andrew street. The boy was in error in mentioning No. 97. Further questioned, the witness said he was 100 yards from the motors\when the accident happened. The cycle in St. David street had a light, but the cycle in George street had no light. It was later ascertained that the house to which the boy was proceeding was No. 491 George street, between Union street and St. David street. Joseph Perkins, motor mechanic, residing at 6 Brook street, said that on the night of Saturday, May 21, shortly after 6 o’clock, he saw a cyclist and pillion rider proceeding north. Witness was then at the corner of George street and Frederick street. His attention was drawn to the cycle by the noise it was making. He noticed, as the cycle passed him, that it had no light showing. It was travelling at from 45 to 50 miles an hour. It was not a safe rate of speed, and he passed the remark to his wife that the parties riding the cycle would be lucky if they escaped accident. _ He took a tramcar north, and on alighting at pt. David street he saw the motor cycle lying between two injured people. Armour Beattie, motor driver, residing at No. 4 Brook street, said that on the night of the accident he was standing at the Robert Burns Hotel in George street. He knew the deceased by sjK.nt, but did not know Mac Lean, the pillion rider. He saw the deceased in the hotel at 10 minutes to 6 and afterwards outside it. The time was. then two minutes to 6. Witness saw him go off with a pillion rider. He travelled south to Hanover street, turned, and went north. Sergeant Boulton: Did anything attract your attention?—Yes, the noise and the speed at which he was travelling. What speed was he v travelling at!'—l reckon he was doing anything up to 50 miles an hour. » Was there a light on the machine?— No light on it. ~ , -. Witness took a tramcar north, and at St. David street got off, noticing that there had been an accident. He saw the deceased lying on the. road at the corner of Park and St. David streets To Counsel for relatives of deceased. It was possible to get up a speed of miles between Hanover street and Frederick street. Robert George M Connell, motor mechanic, said that on the night of Saturday May 21, he was in the shop at the coraer of George and Park streets. Witness’s sister remarked that there had been an accident, and when witness went outside he found several people had been injured. One of the cycle engines was running, but he could not say which one it was. , , ... Detective Russell said that on the night of the accident he went to the junction ot George street and Park street. Sergeant Boulton was then present. He saw a Harley-Davidson motor cycle lying in the gutter a few feet into Regent road. A Royal Enfield motor cycle was lying in the gutter in Park street. The two cycles were subsequently taken to the 'Police Station, where they had been The coroner remarked that he had taken the opportunity of examining the machines. Witness, continuing, described marks he had found on the road at the scene of the accident. ' There was a deep indentation in the bitumen, apparently caused by a pedal dragging along the road. Next morning, with Sergeant Boulton, he again visited the spot, where he took measurements and made a rough plan (produced). The marks showed that a motor cycle; coming from St. David street, and approaching Park street, was on its correct side. All the marks were on the western side of George street. To counsel for the relatives; The apparent point of collision was 33 feet from the corner at Morgan’s shop. The engine of the Royal Enfield was out of alignment, and the petrol tank was burst. The skid marks showed that Adams was on his correct side, and not on his wrong side. John Lachlan Mac Lean, jockey, residing at No. 18 Dundas street, who was pillion-riding with the deceased on the night of the accident, said he met the deceased that afternoon at 2 o’clock. They went to the North Ground, then to the Oval, and later to the Robert Burns Hotel in George street. The deceased was I riding a Harley-Davidson motor cycle. They left the Robert Burns Hotel about I

five minutes to 6 o’clock, the deceased being on the motor cycle, with witness pillion-riding. They went south to Hanover street, down Hanover street, along King street to Albany street, into George street, and then north along George street. ‘ * Sergeant Boulton; And when you got to St. David street, what happened?—l do not remember. Witness, further examined, said that so far as he knew, there was a light on the motor cycle—a three-cell torch fixed to the handle-bars. They went along George street at 20 or 25 miles an hour. The other witnesses were wrong as far as the light was concerned. Sergeant Boulton said that was al] the evidence he proposed to call. He would not call the lady pillion-rider, who would be in hospital' for some weeks yet, as her evidence woud not carry the matter any further. The coroner reviewed the evidence, and said it was plain that the deceased was travelling at a high rate of speed, without a light, along George street, and when he reached St. David street a collision occurred with the cycle driven by Adams. The accident, in his opinion, was due to thq excessive speed of the deceased. Unfortunately, he had paid the penalty of his rashness. The coroner added that he could only find, on the evidence, that the deceased died from shock and injuries, caused by a collision with another motor cycle. He did not, and could not, find that there was any blame attachable to the rider of the other motor cycle.