FATAL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 4

FATAL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

INQUEST ON THE VICTIM. Mr C. C. Graham (district coroner) hold an inquest on the 9th inst. into the circumstances surrounding the death of William Nesbit, who was run over and killed by a tramcar on the-Maori Hill extension on Monday night. Station-ser-geant King watched the proceedings on behalf of the police and Mr C. J. Payne appeared in the interests' of the DunedinRoslyn Tramway Company. Constable West (Roslyn) said he knew the deceased, who was a, canvasser for the Singer Sewing Machine'Company, and resided in Anderston road. Kaikorai. He was a married man, and his age was 45 years. After the accident witness was sent for, and he helped to remove the body from under the oar. He had known deceased by sight for about two years, and sometimes had seen him the worse of drink, but ho was generally able to get home all right. Deceased was about a quarter of a mile from his home at the time of the accident.

Dr Watt said that about 9.30 p.m. on Monday he was called to an accident which had occurred some 50 yards from his house in High street. Ho found the body of the deceased lying on the tram track. Life was then extinct, the man having evidently been run over by a tramcar. On examining the body he found a fracture of the shoulder joint on the right side, the chest crushed in, and several ribs fractured. Th© left upper arm was fractured. On the right side of the abdomen there was a larger wound. The pelvis was also fractured on the right side. Each leg had sustained a compound fracture just above the ankle. Death must have been instantaneous. Questioned by Sergeant King, witness added that ho knew the deceased by sight, and had found him somewhat intemperate in his habits. David M'Gregor Feathers, machine operator, Roslyn, said that he was on the oar at the time of the. accident After passing the Kaikorai tram crossing in High street witness, who was standing on the front platform of the electric car, suddenly saw something drop out in front of • the car. It appeared so quickly that ho did not have time to distinguish what it was. The car was stopped almost immediately, and witness descended on the near side and saw deceased lying on the rails between the front and back wheels. He appeared to be quite dead. The body was removed from under the car, and medical aid summoned. There was a light on the front of the car. which was slowing down as the loop was being approached. Witness noticed no traces of alcoholism about the deceased. Station-sergeant King stated that the other witnesses were tramway employees and that there was no suggestion of negligence on their parts. Mr Payne said he would offer no objection to their evidence. William Barr Duff, tramway conductor on the Dunedin-Kaikorai line, said that on Monday deceased travelled by the car which loft the Octagon at 9.20 p.m. He had known him fairly well by sight. He should say deceased was very drunk when ho boarded the car. He paid his fare. The Coroner: Why was he allowed ou the car, then? Witness: Drunk persons are not usually debarred from travelling unless they do not pay their fare, or become obstreperous. The Coroner: They should not be allowed on the cars in any case. Continuing, Witness said deceased was fairly quiet. He got out at the intersection with the electric line and went down High street in a northerly direction. That was tho last witness saw of him. The deceased staggered somewhat m. his walk. The distance from where he left the tram to the scene of the accident was about 60 yards Deceased was extremely drunk. On boing questioned by Mr Payne, witness said it was hot neoa-sary for deceased to have crossed tho line to reach his hom«. Koland John Dredge, motorman on the Roslyn ekctrio car, said that at 9.50 p.m. his car was proceeding along High street towards the loop. When the oar had proceeded some distance a dark shadow caught his eye out of the left-hand window. It was slightly foggy at the time and very dark. On seeing the object he immediately applied the brake and brought tho car to a standstill. He felt only a slight bump, but no more than the sudden oulline up of the car would entail. The C was pulled up within 10ft or lift after the bump was sustained. The car was travelling very slowly at the time, and when striking the man must have been soing only four and a-half or five miles an hourf as tho loop wa s being approached. The body of the deceased was removed from under the oar at once - It had evidently been dragged some 6ft or Bft. The rails were only 4ft 2in from the kerb of the 'footpath, and there was a high hedge on the side of the road. It was not usual to have a passenger on the front of the car with tho motorman unless the car was vcrv full inside. The car was fitted with a similar life-saving screen to that used on the city cars, and as this was only some 3in from the ground and dropped immediately it was touched, it was very difficult to imagine how deceased had got under tho car. He must have slipped under feet foremost at some part of the car behind this screen. In returning his verdict the Coroner said that so far as the officials of the company were concerned no blame was attachable to them. The only mysterious thing was now tho man managed to get under the wheels. There was evidence to show that the man was actually under the influence of drink at the time, and it was supposed that he had fallen at the back of the lifesaving screen. " That was the only way that the accident could havo occurred. A verdict would be returned to the effect that the man had been accidentally run over by a tramcar whilo he was under the influence of liquor, and that no blame was attachablo to anyo/ie.