MOTORING FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 17

MOTORING FATALITY.

INQUEST ON VICTIMS.

MILTON, Februhiy 27. The adjourned inquest on the motoring tragedy near Milton on Wednesday evening, February 1, when three prominent Otago racing men—Messrs Joseph. Biggins, A. B. Armour and Thomas E. Wilkins—were killed, was resumed at the court house, Milton, this afternoon before Mr H. J. Dixon, &.M., sitting as coroner. The inquiry was conducted by Constable M‘Qui'»ty and Mr J. B. . Callan, jun. appeared on behalf of Mrs Biggins. Dr James Garfield Stewart..medical practitioner, Milton, stated that he arrived on the scene of the accident within a few minutes after the accident occurred. He first saw the deceased Biggins, who was lying on his back underneath the car. He had a large fracture of the skull and a portion of the brain was exposed.. Life was extinct, but the body was quite warm. Witness next attended to Armour, who also had a fractured skull, and life was extinct. He then examined Wilkins lying on the opposite side of the road, who had received severe head injuries. His pulse was beating feebly. Witness worked with him for a few minutes, and Wilkins’s condition improved. Witness ordered his removal to the Milton Hospital, where he died within a few minutes after admission.

To the magistrate: There was no sign of any alcohol on the deceased. James William Albert, inspector under" the Otago Electric Power Board, at Milton, said that he was proceeding from Balclutha to Milton in a two-seater Essex car. A two-seater Buick (driven by a man named Martin) passed witness within a mile from the junction of the main road and the Lawrence road at Clarksville on the southern side of the bridge. When witness arrived at the Clarksville bridge a passenger in his car drew his (witness’s) attention to a five-scoter car coming along the road from Lawrence direction.- Witness slowed up to permit the fiveseater to proceed ahead. The driver of the five-seater slowed down on approaching the junction of the two roads, but on reaching the main road the driver speeded up. Witness was travelling at between 25 and 30 miles per hour. The distance from Clarksville to the scene of the accident was about a mile and a-half. After the speeding-up witness lost sight of the fiveseater car, and" could see nothing for clouds of dust. On approaching South Milton witness noticed there had been an accident. He stopped his car some distance away. The wrecked car was standin" at right angles to the road. He noticed one of the men lying on the road, whilst vnother was hanging by his legs from one of the stanchions in the hood, with his head and shoulders on the ground. Witness then noticed a man lying underneath the car. Several people arrived quickly, and the man who was hanging out was extricated. Witness then examined the car. The engine was running quietly, with the water in the radiator boiling. Witness stopped the engine and also noticed that the tyre on the rear right hand wheel was flat. |

He had frequently been over this road. There was a number of pot-holes, although the road appeared smooth on the surface. There were some bad pot-holes on the southern side of where the accident occurred, and they requited careful manipulation. Archie Macdonald Whytock, South Milton, stated that he was proceeding homewards from Milton on a bicycle on the evening of the accident. When opposite the public pound witness noticed a twoseater Buick car, also a five-seater Buick car. They were running practically level from the" time witness first noticed them approaching until they passed. The fiveseater Buick swerved to the right-hand side of the road. He said that he was not a judge of speed, but considered the cars were proceeding at anything up to 50 miles an hour. The smaller car got sightly ahead on passing witness, and the five-seater turned practically at right angles to the road, just missing his (witness’s) bicycle by a few inches. The car was straightened up, and when the cars had passed him witness heard a crash. On looking round he could see nothing except a cloud of dust. Witness went back and saw tjje big car standing across the road on its wheels. Witness first noticed Mr Hill, whom he assisted towards the side of the road. In the meantime, other people had arrived, and were rendering assistance to the others. Witness rendered assistance in removing Mr Biggins from under the car. To the Coroner: He thought the cars were travelling at a greater speed tiien was usual with motorists. James Allison, farmer, residing at Moneymore. stated that he was proceeding homewards from Milton on the evening of the accident about 8.30 p.m. After passing the bend in the road near Mr Scott’s residence, witness noticed two cars coming from a southerly direction. The five-seater car appeared to come from behind to the front of the smaller car, passed it, and then turned at right angles across tho road. The car somersaulted two or three times, and then stopped on its wheels across the road. Witness was about 50 yards away. He did not go to the scene of the accident. To the Coroner: He could not state the speed the cars were travelling, as they were approaching in an opposite direction. The five-seater car appeared to be overtaking the smaller car on its correct side of the road. . Leslie Gerald Hill, secretary of Dunedin Jockey Club, and resident of Dunedin, stated that on February 1, in company with the others, he was returning from the Tapanui races in a five-seater motor car, which was owned and driven by Mr Biggins.. Witness was sitting in the front seat with Mr Biggins. Mr Wilkins was sitting in the back scat behind Mr Biggins, and Mr Armour was behind witness. They left Tapanui immediately after' the races. .The car was in good running order and gave no trouble. They stopped at Beaumont for a few minutes. They had ■ at-first intended.staying at Beaumont for tea, but changed their, minds, and subsequently re-entered the car and resumed tlieir journey. Everything went well until proceeding /along the Main South road near Multon. Witness noticed the twoseater, car in front on. them—probably aboiit a’- chain ahead.. ‘ The .toad- was dusty.: On seeing the car, ahead Mr Big.gyns /niit .on. speed to get /ajiead. . It was difficult to estimate speed when travel-

ling in a car, as it depended on the make of car. Thirty miles an hour in a Ford would probably have the same impression as 50 miles an hour in a Packard. He did not examine the speedometer, but they might have been proceeding 35 to 40 miles per hour. There was some liquor in the car, which they had taken from Dunedin because they were going into a no-license district. Th-e members of the party were absolutely sober. Witness’s only recollection of the accident was a sudden swerve to the left and then to the right. It appeared more like a dash or rush than a swerve, as if the-wheel had been suddenly pulled over. Witness did not remember being thrown out of the car, and had no further recollection of the accident.

To Mr Callan: Mr Biggins had an official position with the Dunedin Jockey Club as handicapper, and witness was secretary. He had frequently driven with Mr Biggins, who for a long journey was rather a slow driver. Mr Biggins appeared to witness to be a nervous type of man. Witness had noticed this condition whilst Mr Biggins was watching the races. Mr Biggins was particularly interested that day in watching the form of the horses, as he had been appointed handicapper to other country clubs. Mr Biggins was in his company throughout practically the whole of the day. He did not observe if Mr ,Biggins had taken any intoxicating liquor, except at Rae’s Junction, on the outward journey. Io the Coroner: They did not have any liquor at Rae’s Junction or Beaumont on the return journey. He thought the whisky in the car belonged to Wilkins, and was probably purchased on the outward journey.

Io the Coroner: Mr Biggins was driving at such a slow speed that witness and the others joked about it. He did not think that they had overtaken a car on either the outward or homeward journeys.

Thomas Edward Johnstone, police constable, Dunedin, said that on February 1 he was relieving at Milton. About 8.30 p.m. he received a telephone message that a fatality had occurred. He proceeded to the scene of the accident. The car had been pushed off the road. lhe hood of the car (a fiveseater Buick.) was crushed in, the wind shield smashed, the steering wheel smashed, and the radiator damaged; the mudguard on the right-hand side was badly bent. When witness arrived the deceased Biggins and Armour had been placed on the side of the road. Both were dead, and Dr Stewart was attending to Wilkins, who was removed u o the hospital. Witness removed the bodies of Messr- Biggins and Armour to the morgue at the Milton Hospital. Witness later examined the car, and noticed the tyre was flat. It would appear that the car had been running a considerable distance on a flat tyre, and he noticed that a patch had lifted on the tubing. Witness .took possession of the deceaseds’ belongings. He did not find any liquor in the motor car.

Ibis concluded the evidence, with the exception of that of James Harold Vincent Martin, auctioneer, Dunedin, driver of the two-seater car which was running level with Mr Biggins’s car when the accident occurred. Mr Martin is at present at Greymouth, and could not possibly attend this afternoon.

The Coroner adjourned the inquest at u. 45 p.m. to some future date, for Mr Martin’s evidence to be taken at Dunedin.