ACCIDENT ON COAST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17173, 1 February 1930, Page 5

ACCIDENT ON COAST

MR. F. E. BARRY’S DEATH EVIDENCE AT INQUEST The tragic circumstances surrounding the death on Sunday of Air. Francis Eugene Barry, 30, a wellknown stock agent of Napier, were investigated by the coroner, Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M., at an inquest this morning. Mr. Barry, with a companion, was driving from Tokomaru Bay towards Gisborne at 8 o’clock on Saturday evening when his car went over the bank as he was about to pass another car coming from the opposite direction.' He was removed to the Tolaga Bay Hospital and later to a privato hospital in Gisborne, and his death occurred there the followingmorning. At the inquest this morning, Sergeant Mclntyre represented the police, and Mi. J. G. Nolan watched the proceedings on behalf of the deceased's employers, Messrs. "Williams and Kettle, Ltd. Dr. F. Kahlenberg stated that lie attended the deceased at the Lister Hospital at 1 a.m. on Sunday, having been notified by telephone two hours before that he was being brought from Tolaga Bay. Air. Barry was suffering from several broken ribs, and he had a perforated wound in the upper part, of the chest at the back on the left side. There was a . large haeratoma all down the left side of tho back, and ho had considerable difficulty in breathing, and was suifering considerably from shock. His heart from time to time showed signs of failure. Mr. Barry had had some morphia, but was quite conscious anil rational when spoken to. Witness asked him what had happened ,and lie said that in going round a bend somewhere between Tolaga and Tokomaru Bay he hail come suddenly into the glare of a car coming up the hill towards him. He said he was travelling quite slowly, not more than 10 miles an hour, but that he had boon unable to see the road ahead of him, and in consequence lmd gone over the bank. Air. Barry died at about 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, January 26, and in witness’ opinion his death was caused by shock due’ to the injuries and heart failure. Air. Barry, when in conversation with witness attached no blame to anyone. Witness had since learned that Mr. Barry was picked up lying across the wheel of his cai, which would be consistent W'ith his injuries. His lungs were perforated by the broken ribs. David John Barry, uncle of the deceased, stated that Air. Barry was a single man, about 32 years of age, and was a farmer and stock agent by occupation, having a farm at Ruatoria. As far as witness knew Air. Barry bad been driving a car for about 12 months. Frederick Joseph Martin, salesman, of Gisborne, stated that at 3 p.m. oil Saturday ■he left Gisborne for Ruatoria with Mr. Barry, in the latter’s car. At about 8.30 p.m., at a bend on the road between Tolaga Bay and lokomaiu Bay they met another car coining from the opposite direction. The other car had its lights full on, and the deceased’s lights were also burning, but were defective, and appeared as though they had been dimmed, making visibility bad. Thev saw the other car about 30yds. away, coming into thenview round the bend, on a slight incline. Mr. Barry, who had been travelling at from 20 to 25 miles .an hour, slowed down, and pulled over to the left-hand side, and just as they were passing the other car the front wheels went over the edge of the road. Mr. Barry tried to get back on to the road, but "the back wheels skidded over the bank, and he did not have enough speed up to get back on to the road, ihc car skidded down about 3ft., and turned completely over; the bank was fairly steep. Witness thought that Air. Bany was unable to see anything of the road when he was passing the other car, and misjudged the distance, lhe headlights of the approaching car were no more dazzling than was usual. The road there was just wide enough for two cars to pass comfortably. The weather was fine, and the road was dry. The beam and light from the deceased’s lamps was not strong, and that with the dazzling effect of the lights on the other car would make him ' more or less blind momentarily. Both cars were proceeding with all due caution as regards speed. The car turned completely over, coming to vest on its wheels, but neither witness nor the deceased was thrown out, Tlie only injury witness sustained was a scratch on the arm, but the deceased was pinned between the wheel and the hood, and the hood hail to be taken off before he could be extricated, his position would indicate that he received practically the whole weight ot the car as it turned over. The occupants of the other car came to witness assistance, and helped to extricate Mr* Barry, who was quite conscious, lie was taken immediately tu the lolaga Bar Hospital, and later the same night was removed to the Lister Hospital. Mr. Barry was a good driver, lhe car was little damaged. To Mr. Nolan witness said the other car was on its proper mde, and was moving. In witness’ opinion there was room for Mr. Barry to have passed had be not’ made an error of judgment. Edmund Dudley stated that at about 8 p.m. on Saturday, with four other passengers, he left Tokomaru Bay in his car to return to Gisborne. At a point on the road about a third of the distance from Tokomaru Bay to Tolaga Bay, at a bend, he noticed the lights of a rar approaching from the opposite d ice lion, and pulled well over to his correct, side of the road to let the car pass, and took the added precaution of slowing down, having previously been travelling at. about 24 miles an hour The cars met on a very slight gradient, which witness was ascending. Witness was about 30yds from the bend when Mr. Barry’s ear turned' round it., and his headlights immediately fell on the deceased’s car From then on Mr. Barry seemed to run along the edge of the rorul, and went over the bank when the two cars had just passed. The accident ‘•rcunerl on a widn portion of ’the v oa<l The lights on the. deceased’s car appeared as though they had been dimmed. Thev were both travelling very slowly. Witness' did not dim his own headlights, this being forbidden by the regulations. Corroborative evidence was given by John Augustus Crawford Smith, a passenger in Air. Dudley’s car, who stated that the accident was one purely ol misadventure The coroner found that Mr. T/n-v died on January 26 from internal injuries and shook sustained when a motor car winch he was driving accidentally went over O-o bank on the road between Tolaga Buy and Tokomaru Ba> on the night of Jann arv 25 due to Mr. Bayry b-m----momentarily dazzled hv the lights of an approaching car wlii-h he wis attempting to fit'tT>r* time. "I should like to take this opportunity 0 f expressing my sympath** with the relatives of the. deceased in their bereavement,” added Mr. Harper. i