INQUEST CONCLUDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26781, 26 May 1948, Page 3

INQUEST CONCLUDED

ACCIDENT WITH TRACTOR FATALITY AT HAKATARAMEA The adjourned inquest into the death of Donald David Weir, a farm labourer, aged 16, of Hakataramea, who died in the Oamaru Public Hospital on April 30 as the result of injuries received when he was struck by a tractor at a farm at Hakataramea on the previous day, was completed yesterday before Mr A. W. Woodward, justice of the peace, sitting as coroner. An account of the events leading up to the accident was given by Stewart Lachlan Munro, who had been ploughing with the deceased on the morning of April 29. Witness said that after dinner he left for the paddock, standing on the towbar of the tractor which Weir was driving. When he had travelled about halfway up the hill towards the paddock the deceased continued straight on instead of following the track. In his opinion the tractor was being driven too fast considering the uneven surface of the ground. Witness was thrown off the back of the tractor, and when he saw the vehicle again it was some few yards away, and at that moment bounced high in the air. Weir was thrown off into the path of the tractor, which started to roll sideways down the hill, being eventually broken in half. The deceased, who appeared to be struck by the fuel tank, was white and unconscious when witness found him. He was later taken to hospital in his father’s car. Evidence was also given by Constable G. Dunlop, David Gordon Weir and Dr R. C. Melsom. The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence of Dr Melsom, that death was due to shock associated with severe internal injuries received in an accident at Hakataramea on April 29. Elderly Man’s Death ■ Death was due to insufficient blood supply to the heart, resulting in coronary occlusion, said Dr E. E. Butler giving evidence in the Inquest into the death of John Andrew, a retired labourer, aged 76, of Shag Point, who was found lying in the middle of the road near Shag Point at 2.30 a.m. on May 10. Bramwell Alfred Dobson told the court that he was driving a taxi north along the main road near Shag Point with three passengers early on the morning of May 10 when he saw by the lights of the car' the body of a man lying in the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid the body, and grazed a concrete post at the side of the road. As Andrew groaned when witness picked him up, he presumed he was still alive, so witness took him in the taxi to the Hampden Police Station. It did not seem likely that Andrew had been struck by a car. Further evidence was 'given by Robert George Watson, a passenger in the taxi, and by Constable J. Johnson. Death was due to natural causes, said the coroner, who returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.