GEORGE STREET FATALITY

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 21

GEORGE STREET FATALITY

A DANGEROUS CROSSING. Mr J. R. Bartholomew resumed on the 24th the inquiry into the death of Marshall Hugh Brown, an elderly visitor from Christchurch, who was killed as the result of a motor accident at the corner of Pitt and George streets on Show Day, February 10. The street was unusually crowded at the time of the accident, which occurred early in the afternoon. Senior-detective Kemp represented the police, Mr A. S. Adams appeared for the deceased’s relatives, and Mr Hanlon for James Ward, the driver of the motor oar. Eric Matthew Russell, solicitor, of Invercargill, who engaged the taxi to taKe him to Queen street, said he was in the front seat of the oar, alongside the driver. The driver went into his second gear, and, on approaching Pitt street from Queen street, shut off his petrol. The effect was to use the engine as a brake. The car proceeded down Pitt street at quite a moderate pace until it got close to the intersection of George street. By that time the speed had increased a little owing to the grade, and the car actually approacned into George street at a pace which he estimated at nine or 10 miles per hour. The driver’s intention was to cross George street and then proceed south along the left side, but just as the car approached tne street a tramcar travelling north at a very fast speed came into view. This caused the driver to pull in sharply to his right, to avoid what would have been an inevitable collision with a tram. Deceased either standing or walking very slowly, with his back towards the motor car, and in the centre of its new course. The car was travelling about nine miles an hour. Tne driver sounded his horn, but deceased showed no signs .of having heard it. The car reduced speed gradually, and t.lie bonnet struck deceased in the back, knocking him fiat out. The car- pulled up a length and a-half from’the point of impact. De ceased was jambed under . the back axle, and the oar had to be lifted. Deceased was taken by the driver (Ward) to the Hospital To Mr Adams: If all the brakes had been applied and the engine declutched, witness thought the car would have pulled up before striking deceased, but to do this the driver would have required both hands free To the Coroner: The tramcar was rocking about tremendously, and travelling at a very fast pace, and if the taxi-driver had not turned they would have been smashed to atoms. The tramway stopping-place, in its present position, was very dangerous, and would be much safer further south. Dr Riley said he wished to testify to the extremely dangerous nature of the crossing, In order to avoid accident, it was Being. Detective Beer gave formal evidence that the statement produced had been read, over to Ward in witness’s presence and signed by him (Ward). In his statement Ward said he was coming down Pitt street at 12 miles per hour, with the intention of going south along George street, and explained that the sight of a stationary car at Frederick street and the - sudden approach of a north-bound car towards the stopping-place at the north side of Pitt street caused him to turn in between the north rails and the pavement,. He sounded his horn coming down Pitt street, and avaift on seeing deceased, who, he anticipated, would step cut of the way. As deceased did not, do so, he swerved to his near side, but not far enough, and before he could’ pull up the car went over deceased. The Coroner said that in this case there was not much controversy as to the facts. Deceased was either going across the street slowly or had stopped. A taxi, driven by Ward was coming down Pitt, street, and the evidence showed that it was proceeding in the ordinary manner, although, no doubt, it, could possibly have been travelling still slower The evidence all showed th» dangerous nature of the crossing. It appeared that when the unfortunate man met his death a. north-bound tramcar was approaching, travelling at quite a fast pace, and it did not come within the driver s vision until it was close on him. The driver apparentlv took the proper course, and to avoid collision with the tram, turned round into George street—a course which Dr Riley had said had frequently to be taken. He sounded bis born, but deceased apparently did not hear it, which might be explained by the evidence that he was hard of hearing. Apparently, if the driver, instead of sounding the horn, had used his hand to apply his emergency brake, the car would have stopped short of deceased, but in the sodden emergency he could not be blamed for tskng the course that he did. It was natural to sound the born, and if deceased had taken prompt steps it would have assisted to avoid a collision. On the evidence, it appeared that Ihe driver had taken steps which any ordinarily prudent driver would have taken. The verdict would be that deceased met his death from injuries through being accidentally knocked down and run over by a motor car. The Coroner added that the evidence showed the conditions at the crossing were bad. and it would be his duty to bring this under the notice of the authorities to see if remedial measures could be taken.