FATAL GROSSING SMASH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16827, 14 December 1928, Page 3

FATAL GROSSING SMASH

DRIVERS OF VEHICLES WARNED ■ ■ . ___ 1 • 7'* --(Bet. Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. An inquest was held to-day .touching on the death of Samuel. Thomson, 26, who was killed iu a collision 'between a tmiir.and, a .Public Works lorry at WboMon level crossing on November' i 09Thomas Crawford, driver of the motor lorry, sa’id he approached the line at a speed of eight to 10 miles an rhour. ■ Ho was about 20ft front the- lino when he first saw the engine approaching. A maeroearpa hedge Bft high obs'eured the view. Ho did hot hear the engine whistle. . Herbert Norman Stokes,-, driver of the locomotive, said lie whistled twice; approaching the crossing. He applied both brakes when he saw the lorry, biiOho train struck it. None of the men on the lorry was actually struck by the engine. Mr. E. D. Mosley, coroner, in giving his verdict, said he had no evidence that the corner was specially dangerous. If seemed to him that if drivers of vehicles exercised ordinary care there should be no special] danger. “I cannot. but emphasise the necessity for the utmost care to be taken by vehicular traffic approaching railway crossings,” he said. “I know that pfobablv I am wasting my breath. I know that motor drivers do not do this sort of thing.” s The coroner returned a formal verdict. '