STEERING GEAR FAULT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17143, 27 December 1929, Page 12

STEERING GEAR FAULT

FATAL LORRY ACCIDENT DRIVER NOT BLAMED JURY'S RECOMMENDATIONS (Special to tho Herald.) WAJLPIRU BAI, Dec. 24. The jury found that no blame was attachable to the driver of the lorry in. connection with the accident in which Mari iloilase, 4i>, met his death on the TaKapau liill on Sunday night, but added a ruler to the eliect tliat the police should be requested to enforce the regulations prohibiting drivers carrying two passengers on tne cabs of trucks. 'Hie inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Borlase was held at Te'Jfuia Hospital today beiore the acting-coroner, Mr. S. G. Doig, and a jury comprising Messrs. J. R. .Johnson (foreman), T. AicMullen, Geo. Sutherland, and tj. E. Stillman. .■Sergeant Carroll, of Tokomaru Bay, represented the police. A most regrettable feature of . the fatality was disclosed in the evidence of the widow, Mrs. !Kat|ierjne Borlase, who stated that* there were nine children, whose ages ranged from 16 downwards, and tho family was expected to bo increased to 10 at an early date. Mrs. Borlase gave evidence of identification, and stated that the deceased, who f trade. .On Sunday he went to Tolaga Bay on business, and she expected him to ; return that. night lien. Reedy, the driver of the lorry' involved ini the tragic affair, .employed as a lorry driver, by'Chas; Wilkie, contractor, of Ruatoria, stated that he left Gisborne on Sunday morning at 10.30 o'clock with a two-ton truck carrying about 24 tons of timber which he was conveying to Waiomatatini. Witness had with him Henry .McPherson, and when they arrived at Tolaga Hay ia the afternoon they met Mr. Borlase, who asked for a lift to Kuatoria. Witness took him on board, with the result that there were three of them in the cab of the lorry. When they reached the Waipiro Bay turn-off the truck was stuck in the mud for a time and it was about 10.30 p.m. by the time they were running down a grade of about 1 to 12 on the Takapau road between the Takapau turn-oil' and the Kopuaroa junction. About half way down the hill, a number of sharp bends had to be negotiated, and the car developed a "shimmy" in the front wheels. The heavy vehicle swung round on the right lock without trouble, but when witness went to turn in the other direction it would not answer to the wheel, and before he could pull up, the truck ran into the mud at the side of the road, and capsized over the bank, Jailing a distance of about 80ft. It was a very dark night at the time, and raining heavily, and' the road was greasy. Witness and Mr. McPherson were practically uninjured, but Mr. Borlase was pinned under the broken cab, with practically the whole of the weight of the truck and the timber on ihs body. Mr. Borlase said he was caught, and asked them to try to get him out, but their efforts were quite inadequate to extricate him. Witness went for assistance, and had walked about 100yds. up the road, when he met Constable Bradley returning to Waipiro Bay from Ruatoria. Even the three of them could do nothing, however, until they obtained further assistance.

Henry McPherson, a horse trainer employed by Mr. J. M. Reedy, of Ruatoria, the other passenger on' the truck], gave corroborative evidence. George Dewes, a motor contractor, of Te Pnia, told the court that he saw Mr. Reedy's lorry struck at the turnoff, and gave the driver assistance. At that time all three men were perfectly sober, and showed no sign whatever of liquor. Charles Wilkie, the owner of the truck, stated that he.had had trouble previously with the steering mechanism, but. having attended to it about a week ago, ho thought it was in good order again. Constable Bradley expalined how he arrived on tho scene of the accident, and found all three men quite sober. Mr. ilorlase was pinned under the. truck, and was dead when witness reached him. Witness examined the steering gear of the truck, and found that .when he attempted to turn it from the full rigsht lock to the left it jammed, and it required a sudden jerk to bring it back into place. Witness had to walk four miles to obtain the assistance necessary, and they were compelled to work under great difficulties, it being 2.30 a.m. before Mr. Boilase's body was extricated from tho wreckage. Dr. Mackay was in attendance but life was extinct. Dr. Mackay, as the result of his findings in a post mortem examination, stated thai death was due to suffocation. The jury returned a verdict that Mr. Borlase met his death from suffocation through the lorry capsizing and crushing him, r.ltaching no blame to • the driver, but adding the rider mentioned above.