INQUEST CONCLUDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26816, 6 July 1948, Page 2

INQUEST CONCLUDED

CAPSIZE OF MOTOR CAR The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Miss Gwenda May Coombe, aged 35 years, of Dunedin, who was killed as the result of a motor accident near Clarendon on March 27. was concluded before Mr J. R. Copland at Milton on Thursday. Senior Sergeant J. H. Hogg (Dunedin) conducted the inquiry for the police, and Mr G. 1 HThomson (Milton) watched ‘proceedings on behalf of the relatives. Evidence was given by lan Coombe, a brother, that the deceased was spending the Easter holidays with, her mother at Milton, and on the evening of the accident she left the house in a car, but did not say where she was going. James Linster Passmore. Dunedm, said he believed he was the first person on th° scene of the accident. He examined the body and found life extinct. He saw where the car had swung across the road, and also marks indicating where the front wheel had collapsed. Dr J N. Edgar, of Milton, gave evidence that death was due to a fracture of the skull. There was no smell of liquor on the deceased. Donald Ross Hunter, manager of City Motors, Dunedin, with whom the deceased was employed as secretary, said the deceased had authority to use the car, which was his. She had placed some of the firm’s books in the car prior to leaving for Milton. She had asked him to look in at her flat, as she thought she had left the hot water on Constable P. Swan, of Milton, said that inquiries had been made as to the deceased’s movements after leaving home, but had been unsuccessful. Senior Sergeant Hogg said that various statements had been made regarding the accident, but the fullest police investigations had shown that they were unsupported. A verdict was returned that death was caused by a'fracture of the skull. The coroner said it was one of those unexplainable accidents.