RATTRAY STREET TRAM FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3499, 5 April 1921, Page 6

RATTRAY STREET TRAM FATALITY.

The inquest into the death of Mrs Isabella Ritchie Trew, who met with a fatal accident through being struck by a tramcar in Rattray street on Thursday, was continued before the coroner (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) at (he court on Thursday morning. Joseph Charles Smith, salesman for Park, Reynolds (Ltd.), said that on March 24. at about 11.55 a.m., he was at the Rattray street tram terminus waiting for the 12 o’clock car. He was looking across toward Scott, the drapers, and noticed an old lady coming towards the car. She was lame. She noticed the down car coming towards the terminus and waited till it stopped opposite the Tourist Office. Then she crossed between the two stationary cars to the opposite footpath. When about a foot in front of the stationary down car the car rebounded forward, and there was a report as if a wagon had struck the car. The car knocked the old lady down and was partly over her. The Coroner said that the evidence as to the actual happening was clear enough. The car was stationary, with the brakes applied as usual. Suddenly there came a jump forward from some cause unexplained. The occurrence seemed to have been altogether unprecedented, and it was quite clear that no blame whatever could be attachable to the gripman. There had been evidence to show that the running gear was in good order. The corporation, however, was not on its trial, and it was not for him to express a definite opinion beyond saying that the evidence of the officials showed that the regular precautions were taken and the plant was in good order. His verdict would be that death was due to fracture of the skull and hemorrhage of the brain, caused by deceased being accidentally knocked down by a cable car.